College, Dbz Style
by Dbz Chicka
Summary: Sequel to High School, Dbz Style. CHAPTER 16 FINALLY UP! Thank you everyone for your reviews, currently on hold.
1. Prelogue Intro

Disclaimer: 

**Candace** (Dbz Chicka, author of the fic): Hey all! SUP!? Hey guys, welcome to the sequel of "High School...Dbz Style." Well, as you can see from the title, the gang is goin' to college. This first chapter is a prologue from the previous fic/introduction to this fic!

**Sarah:** Yeah! *turns "black."* Yall foo's betta recognize, yo!

**Candace:** o.o; Um..yeah. 

**Sarah:** Giiiiiiiiirl, watchu o.o;ing at me fo'? Don't you be o.o;in' me!

**Candace:** Sarah, calm yourself. -_-;

**Sarah:** I _am_ calm! You crazy mofo!

**Candace:** Take your medicine and go to your happy place. *Pulls out a blunt and hands it to her.*

**Sarah:** *Takes quickly* THANKS! *Lights it with a lighter and inhales from it deeply.* Ahhh...that's what I'm talkin' 'bout!

**Candace:** *Looks back to readers.* Here at...uh...o.O This fic we don't support drug use. ...JUST KIDDING! Of course, we'd like to let all you kiddies know that Sarah and I do not really take drugs...we just like to act like we do for the drug humor.

**Sarah:** *Voice turns deep and dark* But be fore warned...there WILL be drugs in this fic. Be it in this chapter, or those to come.

*Twilight Zone Music* Do-do-do-do-do-do...

**Sarah:** Candace, shut up. -.-;

**Candace:** *Stops making the twilight zone music abruptly* Aww...

**Sarah:** God dang, girl, you always makin' that noise!

**Candace:** BUT I LIKE TO! *Sniffs*

**Sarah:** Yeah well, it gets old. 

**Candace:** *Sighs* Well FINE. *Crosses her arms* Now that we can't have any more TWILIGHT ZONE music, LETS CONTINUE TO THE FIC...Miss I-don't-like-the-kickin'- twilight-zone-music.

**Sarah:** Ok. ^_^

**Candace:** Yeah sure...it _never_ gets old. Anyways, on a more important note, look at the Key Below.

  


  
Key Thingy o.o;  
_All thoughts are in italics_  
**All written things are in bold (Signs, etc)**  
(All font in paretheses are notes from the author)  
All words with a star next to it (example*) are words who's definitions are available at the bottom on the page.   
And sections sperated by this ~*~ signify a new time or place setting.

  


**Dbz Chicka:** And to let all of you know, this is my first chapter ever done in html format. I've _never_ used html before, but I have this nifty little editor that makes it way easier. Anyways, onto the fic. Enjoy.

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Chapter One

  
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~*~

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He opened the door and looked around with a slightly perked brow. Or should I say eye-ridge. His bags stuffed under his arm, he slowly entered, two figures following behind him. _So...this is a fraternity*,_ He thought, looking around, _Nice place._ The first person behind him looked around with very wide and impressed eyes as the other glanced about, seemingly not all that impressed. But he knew he was. Who couldn't be at _this_ place. It was nice, up-to-date, stylish, and he liked the decor. Nothign old fashioned or fancy, all bright or dark colors that were what's the word.. young? Not the kind of place any old person would want to live in. He liked that.

The entry was tiled with white marble, though the walls contrasted nicely with vibrant colored wallpapers. A small sign on the wall to their left read **"Initation Meeting in the room to your right. All initiations start at 7:00P.M."**He glanced at hia wrist watch. The time change had been exausting. To him, and his companions he was sure, it felt like it was midnight. But alas, it was only 6:45P.M. Going to an american college and staying in a fraternity should be interesting.

They walked into the designated door, as instructed by the sign, and blinked some, looking about. The room was furnished with the latest and most modern styles of slick furniture, and the walkks were painted bright green, contrasting with the black shag carpet. Many boys sat about on the sofas and chairs of the large room, all chattering and about their age, some a little younger. The three quietly moved to a corner. 

(Yes, it is Vegeta, Goku, and Piccolo if you haven't figured that out by now)

"Whoa, pretty crowded," Piccolo stated.

"Yeah", Goku replied.

"Well hopefully the initiation will illiminate most of these imbiciles right in the beginning," Vegeta scoffed, leaning back against a wall with his arms crossed firmly over his chest.

"Hopefully.." Piccolo said. He sighed and slid down the wall till he was sitting. "Tell me when they decide to start." He ordered to his two companions, wo nodded. He closed his eyes, getting his thoughts in order and trying to relax and not feel so tired.

He slipped into thought, recollecting all that had happened in the last few years. It seemed like it was just yesterday when they had been in high school. He remembered their sophmor year. The year they had gone on a vacation to Florida. Here they were in the USA again. The plane ride had sort of brought back the memory of the trip. But that had been years ago. And it was much different now.

He opened his eyes but stared forward, not aware of what he was looking at in the least: a wall. What a great year that had been. As well as the next one. But the third...the third hadn't gone so well for him. That had been last year when theu were seniors. To his own surprise, Piccolo had been smart enough as well as wealthy enough (Thanks to his daddy)

to come here for college. The only reason they were going to america for college was that Vegeta and Goku had gotten football scholarships. They had been pretty decent in basketball the last two years too. So had Piccolo. This college had sent the most promising looking request for Vegeta and Goku both, and Piccolo decided to come along. They _had_ been friends for quite some time now. 

Last school year had gone smoothly enough. For the time anyhow. Now here they were, in america, going to an initation to get into a frat (short for fraternity of course) The huge time change had been tiring and Piccolo wished that they hadn't been late. Thanks to Goku's bottom-less pit of a stomach, they had missed their flight. So, they had to catch the next plane. They would have gotten a few hours to rest if they hadn't of missed their first flight, but, seeing as they didn't, they had to come straight from the airport to the campus (the frat house is right across the street) in a cab.

  


Piccolo, Vegeta, and Goku had English down, so it wasn't hard to communicate with any americans. (I know that in the first fic it seemed like they were in America like the whole time, but they were supposed to be in Japan except for on the vacation. Lets just say they've been taking Enlglish since freshman year and had enough knowlege about it to speak it during their little vacation in america. And lets also say that in Japan football and basketball are popular sports. o_O) 

In football they had been champions all four years. It was odd to the three that Piccolo didn't get a scholarship in basketball. He had been the teams MVP. They had also, thanks to mainly _the_ green man, taken home the last two year's varsity championships. It didn't really matter though. Piccolo's father was totally stocked in cash. And Piccolo didn't even know what his dad _did_ for a living, or how he made all that money. They weren't exactly the closest father and son you'd ever seen. They rarely talked, and Piccolo's dad always gave him money. So, when Piccolo had told him about going to college in the states and how he needed money for it, his father had sent it without hesitation or remorse.

The thought crossed Piccolo's mind about the girls. Right now they were not very far away, doing their intiation for a sorority house. Piccolo swallowed hard. Memories of just the last year, his senior year in high school, flashed through his mind. Everything had happened so fast..

A voice snapped him back to the present, "Hey, Piccolo! Wake up!" It was Goku.

  


"Stop daydreaming and stand up," Vegeta ordered, pushing himself off the wall.

  


Piccolo did...but not because he was told to. He looked at a man who seemed just a few years older then they were, who was hushing the room. He crossed his arms. _So...it begins._

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~*~

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***fraternity:**  
n 1: a social club for male undergraduates [syn: frat] 

  
Okay, I know that chapter was like really short, but it's only the intro. Plus I was playing around with html for the first time, so this was a bit of a little test-run thing too. Don't worry, the next chapter will be coming out soon. I do want atleast one reveiw before I put up chapter 2. _Please_, if you want to be e-mailed Chapter Update Notifications, leave your e-mail in a review.   


Now, Go Review.


	2. The Three Steps of The Initiantion

**Disclaimer:** I Don't own Dragonball Z or any other materials, products, or characters that may be mentioned in this fic. The only thing owned by myself is the computer I'm typing this one and well...uh....the original characters I have created.

Sorry about that little screw up. The html formatting messed up...o.O

**AN:** Hey guys, well here is chapter 2. This one's longer then the last, hopefully you like it. I'm going to cut to the chase while idea's are still fresh in my mind and not dilly-dally. Alright? Hope you are enjoying the html. I think it's nifty. ^_~

**Warning:** There is alcohol consumtion in this chapter, and a lot of it. I'm _not_ encouraging anyone to drink, and _don't_ will you to. I realize that the amount of this consumtion is very high, and to be drinking that much in real life would be extremely dangerous. I don't want ANYONE drinking off of an enfluence of this chapter. It is only for humor, and the characters cannot be harmed by it. In real life it could be _disaterous._

With that clear, please continue. If drinking offends you, do not read on.

  


Chapter 2

**~*~**

  


"Hello gentlemen."

Everyone had quieted as they all watched the man in the center of the room. He looked to be about twenty or twenty-one years old, was tall, muscular, and had a sly look about him. His hair was spikey and dark brown, contrasting with his vibrant blue eyes. His nose was straight and his teeth were white, and his strong chin seemed to make his voice deeper them it really was if you watched him as he talked. He looked very much like a ladies man.

Suddenly the sound of a door opening made everyone turn their head. A short, bald, young man ran in, bags stuffed under his arms.

"Krillin?" Vegeta, Piccolo, and Goku all said at the same time. They blinked.

"Hey guys," Krillin smiled and waved as best as he could while holding a bag under his arm. Jack looked pissed. "Would you sit down?" He growled. Krillin blinked and chuckled nervously, moving over to his three comrads. "Yessir."

Jack mumbled then put his arms behind his back and continued speaking, his hands clasping his own wrists in a relaxed position, "Welcome to this fraternity. You are all looking for a spot in this house, are you not?"

Most nodded while the others said "Yes."

"Good, atleast I know you all aren't lost," He said. "Well, this initiation won't be as easy as showing up. You can't just show up and expect to be accepted. You have to earn it, sorry to burst your self confidence, but just taking a glance around the room it looks like most of you aren't going to make it past round one."

Some people swallowed and others paled. Vegeta and Piccolo exchanged glances with arched brows while Krillin and Goku blinked. The guys voice had changed from welcoming and calm to critical and harsh.

"Let me introduce myself," He continued with a smirk on his handsome face, "I'm Jack. Head of this fraternity house. As soon as I determine who is worthy to be here, those of you who _did_ happen to be lucky enough to make it will be under my rule. I will be the one you report to, the one you obey, and the one who makes sure you stay in line." 

He continued, "Anyhow, most of you wont make it anyways, so there is no need to drawl on about a future that you probably will not have. Let us begin the initiation." 

  


**~*~**

  


Chi-Chi and Bulma sat down on a couch, looking around.

"Wow, so this is a sorority house," Bulma blinked.

"Yeah..It's really nice, isn't it?" Chi-Chi asked.

"Nicer then _my_ house even."

"And that's saying something."

Suddenly, Android 18 entered the room. The two sitting blinked as she sat her bags down near them on the floor. She sat down and sighed.

They blinked. "Hey 18."

18 waved slightly in greeting.

"What's...up..?" Bulma blinked.

"Well, Krillin and I missed our plane, twice, and they were both Krillin's fault. The first time he insisted we eat at this really nice restraunt and by the time we got out of there our plane had already left since half of the time we were waiting for our food. The second time, he was in the damn bathroom forever then when he finally _did_ come out he looked like a frickin retard, a big string of toilet paper hanging out of his pants behind him."

They laughed. Their laughter died down quickly though as a young woman walked to the middle of the room and hushed them all politely, smiling.

"Welcome." She stated.

  


**~*~**

  


Goku looked back at Krillin, who shrugged then looked back at Piccolo. Piccolo shrugged as well. They were in a long line that led to the kitchen. The counters were polished oak with black marble surface. Very smooth. The floor was tiled with matching marble. The walls were offwhite and a modern table with comfotable looking chairs was sitting in it making the kitchen a kitchen-dinning room.

Vegeta was in front of Goku. "What are they doing, Vegeta?" he whispered to him.

Vegeta shrugged, "I can't see. There are too many people crowded around them."

"Hmm.." Piccolo stood on the tips of his toes to try and see over the crowd with his superior height. No success. When he dropped back down onto his feet fully Goku asked if he had seen anything. "Nope," He replied, then said in a whisper, "I _would_ fly, but I don't want any one to start getting...you know.."

"Jumpy?" Goku asked. He nodded and Goku agreed, "Yeah, especially in a crowd like this."

"Heh, it would be a little interesting to see their reactions though," Krillin said.

They slowly got closer and closer to center of all the commotion. All they knew what was happening was this was "Test one of the initiation." The leader of the house, Jack, had called it so. He had also added that most of them would not make it past this test. And if they did, then many would fall at the second.

Vegeta crossed his arms and shifted imatiently from foot to foot. He knew he could make it into this frat, and he wanted to prove it, whatever the tests were. He blinked as he suddenly heard the sound of someone throwing up near the circle of people.

"Hey, watch the floor!" Jack yelled, "I just had that cleaned. Ugh, weak ass."

The three looked at one another.

"Get him out of here," Jack's voice yelled, "He obviously didn't get in."

Soon they were close enough to get inside the circle of people and saw Jack sitting on one side of a counter, an empty stool across from him on the other side.

"Next," He barked at the person closest to the school. Trembling, the boy, who was rather thin and frail-looking, sat down.

Jack pulled a plate out from under the counter. On it laid a mound of wiggling, living earth worms, fresh earth complete with them. "Enjoy the meal. You have to eat at least ten," Jack was smirking evilly.

At the sight of the worms, the boy paled. He started gagging and Jack's smirk of amusement turned into a curled lip of disgust. "Get this wimp out of my site before he pukes all over me."

As commanded, two guys at either side of him walked to the younger boy, took him by the arms, and carried him outside. "Next," Jack ordered.

After a few minutes it was, finally, it was Vegeta's turn. He sat down in front of the plate of worms, eyeing it with a perked brow.

"You heard the qualifications," Jack spat, "So spare me of having to waste my breath to say them again." 

Vegeta mumbled some under his breath and picked up a handful. "You do realize," He growled, glaring at Jack, "That I'm not doing this for your veiwing pleasure. I only want in this house."

"Be that as it may," Jack replied, "I'll still get to enjoy watching you. Think you're strong enough to stomach it, or are you a little wuss too?"

Vegeta growled in reply and looked down at the squirming handful of worms in front of him. He closed his eyes, grimancing and stuck his tounge out, mouth open, and placed the worms in his mouth. He quickly swollowed, not chewing at all. Everything was silent. Then..

"What are you staring at?" Vegeta growled, then spit to the side. Jack glared as Vegeta commanded to one of the guys at Jack's side, "Get me some damn water already!"

Goku sat down as Vegeta stood and spat repeatedly. "Aww man.." Goku sighed, looking at the worms on the plate. He reached towards it, his hand trembling slightly. Jack was watching, smirk in place once again, arms crossed over his chest. His hand grasping a handful of worms, Goku closed his eyes, grimancing in disgust.

"Here it goes," Goku said, more to himself then anyone else. Closing his eyes as tightly as possible, he stuffed the works into his mouth. He chewed a few times and swallowed. Tilting his chin down, he grew very silent.

Piccolo put a hand questioningly on his shoulder, "Goku..you okay?"

Krillin blinked, "Goku, buddy, you all right?"

Goku twitched and wiped his mouth. He lifted his head and blinked, "Ya know those aren't all that bad."

Everyone's eyes went huge, especially Jack's, as he exclaimed, "WHAT!?"

Goku picked up a worm, looked at it thoughtfully, then placed one end in his mouth. Everyone watched in disgust as he slurped the worm into his mouth like speggetti. He grinned widely, "It tastes like chicken!"

Reaching for the plate again, Goku licked his lips. But his hand was stopped by Jack's. The angered frat leader glared at him, "You actually _liked_ eating them!?"

Goku nodded and Krillin spoke up, "You must understand, this is Son Goku here. We're talking about a guy who loves eating.." He cleared his throat, looking disgusted, "and apparently will eat practically anything."

"Yup!" Goku smiled that stupid, innocent smile of his.

Piccolo sweatdropped as Goku stood after Jack had released him. Goku grinned at Krillin, "Don't worry, Krillin, they really aren't bad at all!" 

Krillin chuckled nervously. He sat down, looking hesitantly at the worms. Finally he looked pathetically at Jack and asked, "TEN!?"

Jack laughed, "Yeah, ten. Have a good meal, baldy."

"Hey only _I_ call him baldy!" A voice called out behind them. Vegeta shoved his way into the inner circle. Krillin sweatdropped at the comment. 

Looking back to the worms, he whimpered. He counted out ten, shook as much dirt from them as possible, then squinting his eyes closed as tightly as possible, put them in his mouth. He looked like he was about to gag, but quickly swallowed. He shook his head and shuddered, "YUCK!"

Wiping his tongue on his sleeve, he jumped off the chair and spat disgustedly. Piccolo stepped forward.

He sat down in the chair and picked up a handful of worms. Piccolo closed his eyes, shoved them in his mouth, and swallowed hard. He stood up quickly and stepped back into the crowd, muttering, "There, I'm done."

Everyone blinked. _Well...that was quick._ Goku thought.

Vegeta growled to his friends, "Let's get out of this frickin crowd."

Piccolo nodded. He felt sick to his stomach and somewhat claustraphobic. They filtered through all the people into the living room where they had been earlier and sat on different chairs.

"That...was disgusting," Vegeta mumbled, leaning back. Piccolo nodded and Goku shrugged slightly.

"Very VERY disgusting.." Krillin shuddered.

"Wonder what the next test will be..." Goku said, putting his hands behind his head.

"Hopefully we wont have to eat anything alive," Piccolo growled.

For the new half hour, they sat talking on and off, gorwing silent sometimes then beggining conversations. Finally, Jack came into the living room again. He was pushing too disgusted looking soon-to-be-freshmen infront of him.

"Out!" He ordered, kicking each one of them in the behond and onto the front doorstep once he had pulled the door open. "And don't come back!" He yelled as they quickly got up and, mumbling, ran into the street. Piccolo, Vegeta, Krillin, and Goku saw none of this. They only heard it. They exchanged glaces as a car horn sounded and then obsinities were yelled after some screeching tires haulted in the road.

"Damn crazy kids! Get off the damn road!" It was an old man driving, who was leaning out his front window some, shaking his fist at the two young men. "Damnit! Damn youngins, aint got no damn sense!" With that yelled, he flipped them off, then quickly drove off.

The two ran out of the road, growling. As they were cutting across the lawn of the house next to the fraternity, suddenly a cane came spinning, flying at a fast rate. It smacked one of the guys upside the head. His companion blinked and looked towards the house of the lawn they were running on, where an elderly lady was standing. She shook her first at them, "Damn kids! Get the hell off my lawn!!" Quickly the guy who had gotten smacked stood and they both started to run off. "Wait one damn minute!" The old lady yelled and they stopped in their tracks.

Blinkingly, they turned back to her, sweatdropping. "Have you kids got no respect at all!? Leave an old lady without her cane! I never!" The one who hadn't been hit by the cane slowly picked it up then jogged to her and handed it to her, smiling apologeticly and sweatdropping. She snatched it from him and whacked him on the head, "Think you'll get a thank you!? Well you won't! Now get the hell off my--" _*WHACK*_ "lawn!!" Not surprisingly, he quickly did as he was told, his buddy following quickly after him.

The four inside the living room blinked. After a short silence Piccolo blinked, "Uhh..".

Before anything else could be said, Jack came back. "Freaking fags. Mess with Miss Sally May and get your ass kicked with a frickin cane.." He shook his head, "That's a warning. NEVER walk on her lawn." He glared around the room, "Now, any other of you losers that failed the first test **OUT**!"

Many people, mumbling, walked through the living room, exiting the house. Jack took a sweeping glance around the room. "Yeah...all of you passed." He grunted. He cleared his throat, straightening his back. "Now, for the second test. This one will see how much of a sorry ass wimp you are." Some blinked, while others gulped. He contininued, "I want to see how strong you are, and how much you can tolerate pain."

Vegeta smirked as Piccolo let out a small chuckle, leaning back in his seat. Jack's eyes flashed to them, narrowing. Looking annoyed, he finished, "You will pass this next test by taking a punch. If you are knocked out, whine and carry on, or cry like a sorry little bitch, you will not pass."

"Now guess who gets to do the honors?" He smirked. cracking his knuckles.

Goku raised his hand. Jack blinked then nodded to him. "Um...you?" Goku asked innocently, tilting his head to one side. Jack sweatdropped, "Er...yeah...that's right."

Clearing his throat again, he announced, "Now will you all make a line like before? Those of you who aren't as scared as others get in the back of the line. I'll save you for last." His grin was evil. 

Piccolo and Vegeta waited for everyone to line up, then got in the back of the line, Goku and Krillin following.

This test seemed to go rather quickly. Each time a person stepped up to Jack, there was a pause. Then a smack or crunching noise, followed by a grunt or yelp of pain. Most times, there was also the sound of the person hitting the floor. A few people just stumbled back. Vegeta scoffed at some of the guys who held their noses, sniffled, then burst into tears, jumping up and running out the door wailing. Even one guy cried for his mommy.

Finally it was Piccolo's turn. Not scared in the least, the Nemekian crossed his arms and waited, looking at Jack calmly. Jack glared some, thinking _You wont act so cool once your holding your nose and crying in pain, smart ass._

Bringing his elbow far back and clenching his fist tightly, Jack swung hard and fast, his knuckles slamming straight into Piccolo's nose. Piccolo's head went back, and he took a single step back. Everyone watched as at first neither moved. Then Piccolo erected his head again, cracked his neck, and smiled. "Was that supposed to hurt?"

Jack, as well as everyone else (spare Goku, Vegeta, and Piccolo) looked really surprised. Jacks eyes were _HUGE._"B-but..." he stuttered, then trailed off. After a moment he regained his composure...somewhat anyways. He still looked shocked as hell. "Er..next.." He said, watching disappointedly as Piccolo walked to the couches.

Vegeta stepped up, hands on his waist, brow perked slightly. His expression turned nutrual. Jack growled, angered by Piccolo not being effected. As he brought his fist back, he thought _I'm going to make this guy run off, crying for his mother._ With the thought well...thought (o.O;) Jack swung his fist as hard as he possible could, right into Vegeta's cheek. The saiyan's head turned to the left, and Jack kept his arm in postion afterwards, knuckles still pressed into Vegeta's cheek. Vegeta turned his head forward again and brushed Jack's fist away. "That was pathetic.." He mumbled, walking oer to Piccolo and joining him in sitting on the couch. Jack watched, eyes wide, jack hanging, eyesbeows in a difiant and unbelieving furrow. How was this possible?? His punches hurt _everyone._

"Next," He muttered, glaring. His gaze fell on a smiling Goku. _This guy has got to be more of a wuss then the other two...look at him! Grinning like a retard._ He smirked, _Well, he wont be grinning for long._

Yet again he repeated the procedure of bringing his fist and elbow back, and in a swift, hard, and fast movement, he slammed his knuckles into Goku's face. Goku didn't even move. Blinking, Jack removed his fist. Goku tilted his head, "Um, that was pretty good...?"

"Er, yeah. OW!" Goku held his nose and stepped back. Everyone sweat dropped. Goku was one sucky actor.

"Goku you don't have to act like it hurt," Piccolo rolled his eyes.

"Oh, I er..wasn't.." He blinked, looking around, "acting..." He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "Okay, so I was...heh heh."

Krillin stepped up, looking up at Jack. _The little ass looks confident!_ Jack thought, growling, _Little midget CAN'T be as strong as his friends...! Can he..?_

He wound up a punch and punched Krillin right where his nose would be..if he had one. Krillin took two steps back. Everyone wacthed as Krillin rubbed his "nose" for a moment, then smirked at Jack, "That was sad."

Jack shook his head in disbalief, starring at Krillin as he walked to join his three friends. Something was wrong here. Although this was really embarrassing and pride hurting for him, he decided to not make a big deal about it. So far these three had passed the first two tests with flying colors. Even though he didn't like them for being stronger than he was, he was impressed and interested. However, they still had one more test to pass. And after that, the pledge.

Clearing his throat he announced, "Well, that's it for the second test. We now are going to go through the third and final test. Please follow me into the kitchen."

"Uh-oh," Piccolo muttered, standing at the same time Vegeta did. Others who had passed filtered into the kitchen, following Jack.

He told them to find a seat, be it at the table or somewhere else. Vegeta sat on the bar/counter that had been the place the worms had sat, despite Jack's disapproving glare. Piccolo and Goku sat on two stools behind Vegeta. Krillin hopped up on a stool as well. Most of the other people sat on the table or at the table. Some stood near the stairs.

"Now," Jack said loudly, "You all may be wondering what the next test is. It doesn't have anything to do with eating anything alive, let me assure you." He smirked as some sighed in relief. "But it does, however, include the consumtion of something. And _a lot_ of it. It's not drugs" -- At this, one guy snapped his fingers and excalimed, "Damn!"-- "But it is something that many of your mommies would not approve of." 

Goku blinked. "What is it?"

"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOZE!" One guy stood up and yelled. Everyone looked at him and some snickered as he sat down, rubbing the back of his head and chuckling nervously.

"Not far from it, my friend." Jack smiled. He walked into the kitchen, opened a cupboard, and pulled out a large box, setting it on a counter in front of him. As it was set down the tinkle of glass hitting glass was heard. He brought down a few more of these boxes and with a small grunt, slid them down and next to Vegeta.

The four (Vegeta, Piccolo, Krillin, and Goku) leaned close to watch as Jack opened the boxes. They could see many bottles inside. Jack pulled one out and held it up. A bottle of beer.

"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOZE!"

Everyone looked at the guy who had stood before, who was now standing again. He blinked and sweat dropped, "Sorry."

"Beer," Jack announced, ignoring the "BOOZE" dude. "To be able to pass this test, you have to be able to drink as much as, or more, then I can before passing out." 

"Well how will you know who can drink as much as or more then you if you're unconcious?" Piccolo asked, arching an eye ridge. 

"Well after I pass out, my good friend Leroy.." He glanced around, pausing. "Leroy!?" He yelled. 

A guy pushed his way through some men who were standing near a staircase that he had just descended. His skin was dark chocolate colored, eyes were brown, and hair black and short. (**Sarah:** For all you idiots out there, he's a black dude) He was muscular and rather tall, and his voice was deep as he said, "Sup, Jack? You call?" 

"Yes, Leroy, I did. Thanks for coming so quickly," Jack replied. He spoke to everyone again, "This is Leroy." He said, pointing to the one who had just entered. Leroy nodded in greeting. "As I was saying, after I pass out, Leroy will keep tally of how many beers you guys down before passing out. See, because he'll have the number of beers I drank first, then can monitor the rest of you." 

Everyone nodded or said "Okay."

****

~*~

Chi-Chi, Bulma, and 18 reentered the sorority house, all laughing. They were in swimsuits, towels wrapped around the lower halves of their bodies.

"That was fun, Claire!" Chi-Chi grinned at the blonde girl who had welcomed them. Other girls filtered inside as well.

Claire smiled, "I thought it would be. Of course swimming is always a blast, right?"

"It is for me," Bulma smiled.

"I don't like the water.." 18 crossed her arms, looking away dismissively.

Claire's smile faultered slightly and she said, her voice turning from nice to sarcastic, "Yeahc I noticed you sitting by the edge of the pool in a chair the whole time. Did you enjoy yourself?"

18 didn't reply, still looking away from her.

Claire sort of rolled her eyes. She was tall, slender, and had a 'nice figure.' Her blond hair was wet at the moment, resting on her back and shoulders, and her vibrant green eyes were cold with annoyance. She walked into the center of the room. She was, afterall, the leader of the sorority house.

"Hey everyone, could you quite down please?" She said loudly, her smile coming back just as sweet as ever. Everyone hushed as she continued, "I know that it was really fun, I had a good time too, but we are going to move on to the next thing."

"Next thing?" Chi-Chi asked.

"Yep." Claire replied, grinning. Her eyes flashed mischieviously.

"Spare me the suspense," 18 said with sarcasm.

After shooting a quick glare 18's way, Claire continued, "Any of you ever played Truth or Dare before..?"

"Naw duh.." 18 rolled her eyes.

Claire looked like she was getting really pissed, but continued, "We're going to play that, now. And this isn't going to be a 10 year old slumber party. These dares are going to be _real_ dares. No weak stuff."

Some girls giggled and a few looked shyly around. 18 smirked._ This shoud be fun._

"So, if you will all circle up, let us begin," Claire said.

"Wait!" A voice piped up. It was Bulma. Claire looked at her. "Can we use the concoction*?"

(Remember, the star means a definition at the bottom of the page.) 

(I got that idea from Wicked Woman's high school fic. Go check it out sometime.. it's great. Anyways, just giving credit when it's due. The idea of using the concotion during a truth and dare game was not my idea, it was Wicked Woman's. But Truth and Dare is so fun..I had to put it in this fic as well as my High School one. Hehe)

Claire smiled grimly, "Good idea. You," She pointed to Bulma, then Chi-Chi "And you, come with me."

18 wasn't surprised she wasn't selected. She leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest and yawning.

Inside the kitchen, which is where Claire led the two, they went to the fridge while Claire opened a cupboard. She pulled out a blender and set it on the counter, plugging the cord into a near by outlet.

Bulma and Chi-Chi pulled out various food iteams, setting them near the blender. "Is this enough?" They asked after a few moments. Claire studied their choices. "Yeah, that's good," she anounced, picking up the egg carton. She smirked as she threw two eggs, shell and all, into the blender, then picked up a tomatoe. Chi-Chi and Bulma gulped, looking at each other.

In the living room, 18 watched the other girls talking nervously but excitedly among one another. _'Truth and Dare with just us girls wont be all that fun. We need some men.'_ She glanced to the window. Outside, across the street, was the fraternity that Krillin had gone into. _'Hm..' She smirked slightly, 'Wonder if Claire will lighten up enough to take a suggestion...'_

**~*~**

Jack looked at his watch. "Hmm..." He glanced at Leroy. "Ready to start?" Leroy nodded. Jack picked up a bottle of beer, the others sitting around, watching. He guzzled down the bottle in like 5 seconds, and the others blinked. He continued this routine and seemed totally unphased through the first 10 bottles. He burped at the fifteenth and swayed slightly, shaking his head. He kept going though. And going and going and going. The others watched with wide eyes and open mouths as he reached bottle 25, (**Sarah:** Of course, Leroy can only count to 26...*Shrugs*) according to Leroy's count, guzzled it down just as fast as the others. He looked around, smirked oddly, then suddenly leaned forward, his forehead hitting the table.

"Uh..is he..unconcious?" Piccolo asked, closing his dropped jaw.

"Yup," Leroy said simply, pulling Jack up and pushing him over the table. He lied there, unmoving. He seemed to be snoring.

"Okay, boys and girls," Leroy smiled, picking up his pen and tally paper, "Who's first? Atleast 25 bottles."

Before anyone said a word, Goku stumbled forward. Leroy clapped him heartily on the shoulder, grinning, "Alright, man! That's the way to be, steppin' up and willin'. Take a seat, brother. You can do it, 25 bottles. It's nothin', right?"

Goku found himself seated where Jack had been before he could say anything in reply. "Ready, bro?" Leroy asked, putting the pen to the paper. 

"I..uh.."

"Good, get a goin'."

Goku blinked and picked up his first bottle. He opened it and sniffed the contents. _'Yuck, that STINKS!'_ He held it away from him, making a face. Leroy looked shocked, almost insulted.

"Well..uh...brother," He cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes slightly, "Why don't you uh,,get a drinkin'?"

Goku looked at him, chuckled nervously, then back at the bottle. "Of course...I am."

_'Okay, if I can eat worms, I can drink beer. No problem,'_ He thought to himself, then grinned. "Yeah, that's it, I can so do this!" Everyone looked blinkingly at him.

"Uhh.." He smiled sheepishly. "I'm ready to start."

"Good, brother, Good," Leroy smiled. Krillin gave him an encouraging thumbs up and a grin. Piccolo and Vegeta nodded. The others sat there staring.

Goku held his breath as he put the bottle to his lips, holding the bottle by it's neck. He breathed out and closed his eyes, gulping down the beer. His first reflex, since he had never drinken before and was no where used to the taste, was to gag. But he resisted it somehow, and got the entire bottle down. He set the empty bottle down and tried not to cough. Leroy was glowing with pride. He had already taken a liking to Goku.

"Good job, brother!" He clapped him on the shoulder, "Now just 24 more to go!"

"Ugh.." Goku groaned quietly groaned, picking up the next bottle.

**~*~**

18 raised her hand with a small smirk as Claire and the other two entered the room from the kitchen. Bulma had a glass in her hand that was filled with a disgusting looking blackish green fluid. It was rather thick. The girls' eyes widened as their gazes fell on it.

"Oh Miss Claire.." 18 said loudly, sounding like a student talking to a teacher. She raised her hand higher.

Claire perked an eyebrow, and crossed her arms, "What is it?"

18 tilted her head innocently, the smirk still apparent. "Wouldn't this game be much more interesting.. if um, you know...we had some **men** to play with?"

Claire just looked at her. She nor 18 blinked as they held each other's gaze. Chi-Chi and Bulma exchanged glances as the entire room sank into pure silence.

"Actually, that is a wonderful idea, 18."

This caused some more girls to look nervous. Now that had to play with men? Wonderful.

18 smirked again, "Why thank you, Claire."

"And I know just the men to play with." Claire smiled. She walked over to the phone, picking it up. She dialed a number.

**~*~**

The phone rang while Goku reached his 25th bottle. By now the men were in an excited freinzy, cheering Goku on wildly and clapping him on the back encouragingly. Too back for Goku this made it harder to down the bottles, but he was so close. Leroy called a time out, told everyone to shut up, and finally when they did, the phone was ringing for the 5th time. Leroy quickly picked it up, "Yo, you rang?" 

The other guys watched as Leroy nodded some. They saw his gaze shift to the still unconcious Jack lying on the table, "Uh, sorry baby, but your man is kinda unable to come to the phone at the moment." There was a small pause by Leroy, then he said reassuringly, "Don't you worry none, he'll be absalutely fine. You know the initiation, and the third task? Yeah yeah, that's it. Well that's why."

He nodded some more as supposivly the person on the other end of the line was doing all the talking. 

He stopped nodding and said, "What?" He furrowed his brows as he listened. "Uh, I'm not so sure..." More talking by the other person, then, "Well, it'll have 'ta be tomorrow. I don't think these guys will be able to even walk after this. 'Least not for a few hours, if ya know what I mean."

"Mhm..Mhm...'Aight. Well girl, I'll talk to your man, do a little nagotiatin', an' I'm sure he won't be hesitant 'bout it much anyhow. 'Yall know he's a wild brother, always takin' risks and jumpin' into all these thangs that don't conern 'em jus' because he wants a thrill."

After a few more words from the woman on the other line, Leroy concluded, "'Aight, 'Aight, that's tight. I'll have him give ya a ring tomorrow, an' I'll be seein' ya then. Man man Lee, out. Peace easy."

With that said, he hung up. "Whooooooooooooooooo-boy!" He said, clapping his hands. He smirked at the other men, "Yall gonna have some fun tomorrow." Everyone blinked.

"Anyways, we gotta finish this up. Goku, my main man, finish up them last five bottles and we'll be off with these other fools." Leroy said, sitting down and picking up his tally again.

Goku groaned inwardly, but did as he was told. He drank the last five bottles as fast as possible, hiccuped, then his eyes rolled back as he fell backwards off the stool/chair thing.

Piccolo reached out and caught the man by the collar of his shirt, lifted him off his feet, and moved him onto the table as well, joining Jack. Leroy asked for the next person, and some guy with black hair stepped up. Piccolo crossed his arms, thinking, _'This is going to be a long night...'_

Well, after quite a few more bodies were added to the table of unconciousness, it was Piccolo's turn to step up. He sat down, picked up a bottle and glances around at all the empty bottles around him on the counter. He shoved them to one side with his arm, uncapped the bottle, and drank it straight down in about 5 seconds. Some guy near by while he reached his 6th bottle was cheering wildly, slamming his first on the table and yelling, "Go go go go!" It gave Piccolo a headache. The guy didn't stop as he reached his 10th, or 17th. He growled looking at him.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!!"

Everyone grew suddenly silent. 

"Thank you," He mumbled, picking up his next bottle.

**~*~**

"So what's happening, Claire?" Someone yelled. All the women were crowded tightly around her as she hung up the phone, trying to find out what was happening.

Calire tried to silence them with a series of "Quiet down, Shh.."'s but no avail. Finally, when she was so frustrated she couldn't stand it anymore, she yelled, "SHUT THE HELL UP!!"

_'Well, that worked well,'_ she thought as, at once, everyone fell silent. She cleared her throat, then ordered them to back off and return to their seats. Everyone did. 18 had been sitting the entire time anyways.

"Now tomorrow when I get a call from my boyfriend Jack, who is head of one of the frats, we will either go over there, or they will come over here, and play Truth or Dare."

As soon as she had said this, excited and nerous mumbling and whispering exploded.

Growling, Claire yelled, "SHUT UP! I WASN'T FINISHED!!"

Everything was quiet again. Someone coughed, then said sarcastically, "You don't have to yell." Claire glared at the speaker, who was none other than a smirking 18.

Continuing, her irritation apparent on her face, Claire said, "The men can't do it tonight because they are doing the final task of their initiation. After that, they swear into brotherhood, then it's over. Here, I simply choose who I want to be in MY serority." She glanced at 18 with narrow eyes, "So everyone better watch what they do or you are out."

"Anyways, since the third task kind of prhibits them from being able to do anything tonight, we will sleep here and wait for the call. Meanwhile, I'll be doing a little interrigation with each one of you in a single room. As fas as sleeping quaters go, there aren't enough beds for all of you, so I hope you all brought a sleeping bag, because the only one's sleeping in beds are current members of this serinity, as well as myself." 

"I want it to be quiet in here, and try to get some sleep." With that said, she turned around and walked into a hallway, obviously leaving them to find out sleeping arrangements and places on their own. Some of the older girls stood and followed her, apparently all heading to their own rooms for the night.

"Guess I better put this in the fridge to save for tomorrow," Bulma said, holding the concoction up.

Chi-Chi shuddered, looking at it, "I rather do anything then drink THAT."

"Same here," 18 agreed, following Bulma into the kitchen, Chi-Chi at her side, "I rather be brave and do some dare or tell something truth full then drink some day old..." She looked at the contents of the glass as Bulma put it in the fridge. "Day old whatever the hell that is." She raised a brow, "But whatever it is, it looks freaking disgusting."

"Well," Chi-Chi said as Bulma closed the fridge door, "It has tomatoe, cheese, milk.." 

"Chi-Chi, I rather _not_ know." 18 said, curling her lip in disgust.

Chi-Chi smiled as the three returned to the living room to figure out where to sleep for the night.

**~*~**

"GO GO GO!!" The same guy was yelling, slamming his fist on the counter, causing all the empty bottles on it to shake and rattle like crazy. Piccolo was now out and down for the count, as well as Krillin, and the two now laid atop the rest on the table as Vegeta's turn was under way.

He was already on his 23rd bottle but it was hard to continue. He swayed, picking up the bottle unsteadily, tipped it into his mouth, and had to stop himself from spitting it out.

Once he paused to groan, Leroy smacked him hard a few times on the back, "C'mon man! I _know_ you aint one of them sissy white boys that just took a few bottles and passed out. Now get a drinkin'! You only got three more bottles, encludin' this'n!"

Vegeta coughed, then chuckled some. He drank the rest of his 23rd bottle and picked up another, uncapping it. He drank it down, then looked at the 25th bottle. "Ugh.."

"C'mon! You aint no sissy white boy, are ya?" Leroy yelled.

"I may be white," Vegeta hiccuped, "But," He held up a finger swinging it around unsteadily, and Leroy looked ready catch him if he lost his balance and fell of his chair, "I am NO..sister."

Leroy blinked, "Say what?"

Vegeta guzzled his final bottle, then slammed it down, breaking it. "I said I'm not your sister!" He growled, "So stop calling my your sister, the white boy." Vegeta blinked, one eye for some reason blinking faster then the other, then burst out laughing.

Leroy chuckled, shaking his head, "Man, you are one messed up mo fo."

"MY NAME AINT MOE!!" Vegeta raged, picking up another bottle. He drank it down, Leroy smiling broadly, then Vegeta pointed to his hair, "and I look like I have a fro...but it's not! DAMNIT! THIS IS NOT A FRO!!"

Leroy chuckled again, clapping him on the shoulder, "Whatever you say, brother."

Vegeta was really out of it. "And you call me Moe one more time and I'm gonna have to.." He paused, picking up another bottle and drinking it down, "Kick your...Posteree ..possy.. posserior...I'll have to kick your ass!!" He laughed madly and reached for another bottle.

But Leroy turned him away, "You are one crazy fool, and you have had enough."

Somehow in Vegeta's clouded, drunken mind, the realization of him getting further away from the beer bottles as Leroy shoved him towards a chair processed. "HEY! I'm still drinking!"

"No you aint, boy. So just sit your skinny white ass down and calm yo self."

Vegeta hiccuped, "Hey my ass aint skinny, yo!"

Leroy just looked at him and then smiled, closing his eyes and shaking his head, "You are _so_ white."

"Peace out, bro!" Vegeta hiccuped, then leaned back, totally out cold.

"And you, my homie, have passed out, as well as passed the test." Leroy concluded, putting a large check mark next to Vegeta's name.

**~*~**

***Concoction - An assortment of different food iteams that when mixed with a blender, would be very disgusting to drink. Used as the consequence in the game Truth or Dare so that if a person refuses to tell the truth or do a dare, they must drink some of it. (Idea from Wicked Woman)**

**Plug Time!**

**This fic is great, written by my BEST BUDDY, The Dbz Dealer it's halarious!!! Warning: Drug and Alcohol consumtion... But hey, you aren't kids are ya? You can take it. ^_~ Besides you just read all that. Don't tell me you DIDN'T think it was funny! Read and Review on her fic! You'll be happy you did. ^.^**

**Druggieball Z **_ Piccolo is corrupting the innocence of the Earth...Oh well! ^_^ What will happen in this drug-I mean action packed story? Read& find out! Please Review...^_^ Monkeys. Dragon Ball Z - PG-13 - English - Humor - Chapters: 2 - Words: 2088 - Reviews: 3 - Updated: 3-9-03 - Published: 3-4-03_

Well guys, that's the end of this chapter! I hope you liked it. More to come soon, hopefully. Please reveiw!


	3. Truth Or Dare

**Discalimer:** I don't own anything. Yaay...

A/N: The monkeys are coming, that's all you need to know, kids. ^_~

_**~*~**_

A groan erupted from the room as someone sat up, from the many bodies lying on the floor. The person looked around, blinking some. Everyone seemed to be asleep. "Uhh..guys?" This was Goku. He _seemed_ to be the only one awake. But he wasn't.

"STOP YELLING!" Someone a few yards away yelled and rolled over, holding his head.

As soon as that person yelled a series of groans broke out and annoyed mumbling.

"My head.." Goku mumbled and laid down again. "Ugh..."

"And that what you are experiencing at this moment," A loud deep voice suddenly errupted from seemingly nowhere, "my homies, is called a hang over."

"Too loud!" Someone called, mumbling with almost everyone else who had horrible head aches.

"Ah, Shut up ya little bitches," He laughed, "Jack is up and about but all you dawgs be trippin' still."

Jack's voice joined him, pounding the heads of everyone else, "Yeah you guys better get over it soon. Because guess what? We're playing Truth or Dare with my girlfriend and her sorority soon, and you guys aren't going to be whining like little babies the whole time. Leroy, pass out the medicine."

Leroy made everyone sit up and gave them each a glass of water and dropped a pill into it, making it fizz. He then told them to drink it. Soon, everyone's head aches were much dulled, and they were walking around and able to talk without crying out in pain at the loudness.

Jack looked around the room surveying the intoxication level. He decided to do a test. "HEY!!" He screamed at the top ofhis lungs. Many people jumped, some grimaced slightly, others just looked at him. He supposed the head aches were dimming. He crossed his arms.

"Leroy," He snapped his fingers. Leroy hid his irritation at being summoned like a sevant. "Yeah, Jack?" Jack pointed to the ground and then ordered, "Get some tape and make a straight line for these guys to try and walk on."

"You got it," Leroy said, pulling out a roll of masking tape and sticking the end on the floor, then unrolled the tape as he stepped backwards and made a line on the floor. He ripped the roll free and replaced it in his pocket. 

"Okay everyone form a line right here!" Jack yelled, pointing to a spot on the floor. Everyone did so.

They were to walk the line without putting there feet anywhere but on the tape. Most could do this with relitive ease, but for some it was quite difficult. Like for Krillin, it was difficult. The poor bald young man kept swaying and stepped far off the line, and Jack would sigh and make a comment about how some people were just not strong enough to endure a lot of alcohol.

Piccolo walked the line perfectly, and Goku did rather well as well. Vegeta was slightly unsteadier, but not as bad as Krillin. Once everyone had gone, Jack seemed to be in thought. His gaze fell on the phone and then the looked back to them, smirking, "Truth or Dare time, boys."

_**~*~**_

A phone rang somewhere in Bulma's sleepy haze. She opened her eyes and yawned, slowly sitting up. Her body roze over many lumps of different colored fabrics and she glanced around then rubbed her eyes, trying to clear her vision. The lumps happened to actually be the rest of the girls still asleep, all in their sleeping bags. She seemed to be the only one that had awakened.

The phone was still ringing. She looked toward the annoying high pitched ringing noise and saw the phone sitting on a small corner table at the end of the couch. It vibrated every time it rang. Grumbling in irritation she stood up unsteadily, then, trying not to step on anyone, she walked to the phone. Plopping on the couch, she picked it up, then said a groggy, "Hello?"

"Who is this?" The voice on the other end of the line asked. It was a male's.

"Bulma," She replied tiredly, not really in the full thought process yet. Like anyone would know who she was in this foriegn place.

"Er, well, _Bulma_, is Claire there?" The voice asked. Shaking her head to wake up a little more, Bulma looked toward where Claire had walked off last night. She could here a lot of loud snoring from down that way. "She's asleep." The guy mumbled some under his breath, then said, "Well can you wake her up?" "I'm scared to.." Bulma said, still tiredly, "She'll probably bite my head off."

_**~*~**_

Jack rubbed his temples with his free hand, his other holding the phone pressed against his ear. "Look, Bulma," He said, his voice raising in clear irritation, "You know about the whole Truth or Dare thing, right?"

Vegeta blinked slightly, looking over at him. _'He's talking to that woman...?'_ He thought, and stepped a little closer to eaves drop. He crossed his arms once he reached the wall clsoest to jack and closed his eyes, tilting his chin down as he leaned against the wall, appearing to be resting as he listened carefully.

"Okay, you do know. That's wonderful. Well, I need you to tel Claire and all the other women over there to wake up, get pretty, and get over here. Understand?"

Vegeta heard Bulma ask, "Get pretty?"

"Of course," Jack replied, smirking, "You girls just love dolling yourselves up, and we men don't mind that at all. Now go and wake everyone and get ready, then meet us over here."

Vegeta could here Bulma agree, then Jack hung up. Vegeta stood straight.

"Well, lets hope you're all sober," Jack announced loudly, "Because the women are joining the party...Soon, anyways."

A few guys chuckled while others looked a little scared, but all in all everyone seemed pleased at this news. Some guy asked where te bathroom was and Jack pointed him in the direction. Suddenly, everyone realized they really had to piss. There was a rush to the bathroom, then two guys broke into a fight over who got to go first. 

Goku uneasily rocked on his heals, looking over the heads of the by-standers fo the fight. He really had to go. After a while he thought he was going to explode and pushed through to the front. He simply walked past the two fighting into the bathroom and shut the door. Everyone blinked, even the fighters, who stopped with one lying on the ground, the other on top of him, fists stopped in mid-air, each having a handful of each other's hair with their other hand.

Paused in this position, they looked at each other, then the one on top slammed the other's back of the head into the floor then got up. Mumbling, the other stood as well, rubbing his head. "Now now, children," Piccolo said to them, shoving them behind him. "Get in a nice orderly line."

Vegeta smirked, and pushed them further back as well, so that he was behind Piccolo who was first in line.

_**~*~**_

About an hour later, the girls were ready to go. Dressed, primped, and ready to have some fun, they walked out the door, lead by Claire, across the street and to the guy's fraternity. 

"Hey hey hey!" Some guy yelled, making the other guys turn their heads to him. He was on the couch, looking over it with his hands on the back and staring out the window with a huge grin, "Lookie what we have here."

Almost all the other men crowded to the window, peering out. There were a lot of Ooo's and ahh's as they beheld the sight before them. Piccolo, Vegeta, Krillin, and Goku were at the back of the crowd, and decided with confirmations of nods that they wouldn't be noticed if they floated a little higher to peer over the others.

It was, of course, a herd of women gracefully approaching. All the guys watched as if they were the most amazing things they had ever beheld in their entire life times, eyes slightly widened, jaws dropped, al leaning forward trying to get a better veiw.

"Look at that one!!" A few said, pointing to different girls in excitement.

"She's _hott_!!"

"Screw you, I saw her first!"

"Look at her! Reer, over here, pretty mama!"

"Whoo, boy! This is going to be great!!"

A lot of men chuckled and agreed. All the girls looked very attractive, hair done, short skirts, the works. The men were practically drooling.

_**~*~**_

Bulma blinked as they stopped in front of the door and Claire rang the doorbell. She had just suddenly relaized a large amount of male faces staring at them. She nudged Chi-Chi and 18 with her elbows, them at either side of her, and nodded to the window.

Chi-Chi blinked twice as did Bulma as the men realized they were noticed and all at once started whistling and winking, and making all kinds of other comments. 18 sweatdropped, then narrowed her eyes at them. She flipped them off. Even though they were outside and the men were inside, the three could all hear the men go "Ooo..." then burst out laughing.

_**~*~**_

Krillin rubbbed the back of his head, sweatdropping, "That's 18 for ya." He chuckled.

The foursome of men that hadn't been making asses of themselves were none other then Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, and Krillin. The doorbell rang for the second time, and the men dispersed from the window and Jack opened the door. Still in the living room, the men all listened intently.

"Come in, ladies," They heard Jack say, and could imagine the sly grin on his face from the amused and almost teasing tone in his voice, "Aren't you all looking absalutely stunning." They heard some giggling from the girls outside.

"Come in, Come in," Jack cooed, and soon most of the men did a last five second breath check, sucked their guts in, thrusted their chests out, and gave the best smile they could. The women entered, some smiling shyly, others anxiously, and some, like Bulma and the other two main character girls, were looking arouns expectantly.

Goku gave a small wave at them to catch their eyes, and they all waved back. They didn't get to cometogether though because Jack entered, Claire at his side, his arm around her waist. Both were smiling a sly half smirk kind of grin.

"Okay, now as you can see, there are many many people here," Jack said, quieting the room.

"We have two choices," He continued, looking around the room at all the faces watching him, "One: We split into groups of...eh...say 10, and play seperate games. Two: We play oen huge game of Truth or Dare."

"Should we take a vote?" Claire asked him, looking at him. He nodded.

"Those who are for the groups, raise their hands now." Jack said.

Piccolo and Vegeta looked at each other. There seemed to be a lot of discussion about if groups would be wise. "Well," Piccolo said to Vegeta, "With groups there would be less people and we'd probably have a lot more turns.." Without further said, they left their hands down.

People raised their hands, however, and Jack took a count. "Okay, hands down." He said. Those raising their hands let them drop. "Now, hands up for you who rather play one big game."

Hands shot into the air, including Piccolo and Vegeta's, and Jack counted again.

After a moment of silence, he announced, "Groups win."

There was a mix of Yay's and Aww's. Vegeta and Piccolo said in chorus, "Damn."

They decided to do 16 to a group, 8 women and men in each one. After getting into these groups, they spread to different large rooms of the house, where they sat in a circle. They each took a glass of the concoction with them.

Coincidently, Bulma, Chi-Chi, 18, Krillin, Goku, Vegeta, and Piccolo all were in the same group, along with Claire, Jack and Leroy.(Heh, coincidence, more like I want to make it way more interesting. ^_^; )

"Alrighty then," Jack said, smirking and clapping his hands together, then rubbing them, "Let's get started, shall we? Who wants to start?"

No one, unsurprisingly, raised their hand or acknowledged they wanted first to be the vitcim.

"Aww...c'mon. Anyone?"

Still no response. He sighed, "Alright, then we will have to just pick some one randomly to be my prey." He smiled evilly and stood up, everyone watching. They were in the living room, and he walked into the kitchen, then returned with an empty beer bottle, one of many, in his hand. He resumed his position between Claire and Leroy in the circle on the floor, and leaned forward, setting the bottle on it's side in the middle of the circle, then spun it, let go, and sat back.

Everyone watched, all not blinking, leaning forward just slightly as the bottle slowly stopped spinning quite so fastly. It was as if their fate depended on this bottle. It slowed and closwed and slowed, until finally it came to stop, and Jack's first victim would be...

Jack? The bottle he had spun pointed right at himself.

Everyone fell over anime style.

Piccolo sweatdropped, getting up again, "After all that..." He mumbled, then said louder, "Spin it again."

"Okay," Jack said, "Let's try this again..." He made the bottle spin again. It twirled and twirled on it's side on the carpet, started to slow, and finally it chose...

None other then Piccolo.

Piccolo, unhappy about this, mummbled a very naughty word loud enough for the ears of everyone around. Jack, pleased, smirked. "Well, well..." He said tauntingly, but Piccolo was of course, unable to respond, as in beat his face in as he wanted to, "Look who it is. Green boy."

Piccolo growled, ready to beat the hell out of him. He hated this guy. _'He's such a bastard...'_ He thought, glaring at Jack, _'I'd like to kick his ass right here and now, but I want to get into this damn Frat. Too bad he's the head of it.'_

"Truth or Dare?" Jack asked, looking hopeful.

"Dare." Piccolo replied, no hesitation at all. Jack grinned at this.

"Let's see..." Jack said thoughtfully, looking up, rubbing his chin. Piccolo waited impatiently for his fate. He shouldn't have picked dare, but he didn't want Jack asking anything personal.

"Well, I was going to give you a little candy ass dare to start off with..." Jack said, but didn't continue as he got smacked on the shoulder by Claire.

Claire, glaring, scolded him, "You don't need to cuss."

Everyone blinked, then the guys smirked. "Yeah, don't cuss, Jack. It's not very nice." Piccolo said. Jack glared daggers at them, then said with a sigh, looking at Claire, "Fine, I meant I was going to give you a weak dare to start off with..." Then his smirk returned, "but decided that wouldn't be any fun."

Piccolo didn't grimace, even though he felt like it.

"Fortunately, or unfortunately, your dare cannot be done at the present time. You will fullfill it later, and I will tell you now, but it cannot be disclosed to the public. Understand?"

Piccolo blinked, "Um...yeah..I guess so."

Jack stood up, and motioned for Piccolo to follow him, which he did.

Moments later, from the hallway, Piccolo's voice was heard, "No way!" Everyone blinked, then exchanged glances. A few more moments and Piccolo and Jack returned, Jack looking ready to burst out in fits of laughter and Piccolo as if he had just drinken some of the concoction. But he wasn't touching that crap. Just looking at it made him want to hurl.

"So, moving along," Jack said, still grinning broadly, "You're turn Piccolo."

It was in fact Piccolo's turn to truth or dare anyone he wanted, besides Jack. He looked around at the faces watching him, waiting for him to pick someone, all either masking "Don't pick me!" or displaying it broadly.

Sense Krillin's face just screamed "don't pick me," with his little pout and big pleading eyes, Piccolo picked him. 

"Truth or Dare, Krillin?"

The bald teen looked shocked, then saddened, then sighed. "Truth."

_'Wuss.' Piccolo thought, then looked up, thinking of something to ask him._

"Alright," He said after a moment, looking down to Krillin, "Is it true that you have a pink diary that has fluffy pink imiation fur with it, where you write all your secret thoughts and desires about 18?" Piccolo said this all in one long scentence with great speed.

Piccolo knew this was true, he had seen and read the thing once, and only he and Krillin knew he had. Krillin hated that he knew about this. Krillin, in the present, reached for the concoction.

"Whoa whoa," Piccolo said, making Krillin pause. "If you drink that then you are practically saying yes. Why don't you just admit it and save yourself the disgust?"

Krillin sighed, "Yes...I have the diary."

Jack burst out laughing, though he didn't know who 18 was, but the thought of a pink fuzzy diary in a male's posession was halarious. Everyone, spare Krillin, who was mortified, 18, who was blushing, and Piccolo, who had already laughed his ass off when he first saw the thing.

When the laughter finally did die down, it was Krillin's turn.

"Umm..." He said, looking around, "I pick..."

His finger pointed forward, went around the circle, and everyone seemed to tense whenever they were pointed at. He finally stopped on someone, who was...

"Goku!" Krillin grinned.

"Aww man.." Goku mumbled."

"Truth or Dare?"

"Um..." Goku looked up for a moment, thinking. "Dare." He said, hoping Krillin couldn't think of anything too embarrassing.

Krillin looked around, thinking. He looked at Bulma, "Got your camera?"

"When do I don't?" Bulma smiled, pulling it out of semingly nowhere. (^_^) [Visual expression aid]

"Good." He looked to Goku, "I dare you to dance around in your boxers with a lampshade over your head while Bulma takes pictures." (^.^)

"WHAT!?" Goku blinked, the corners of his mouth stretched back. (o__o) "In only my boxers?!"

Krillin smiled, "Yup." (^_^)

"Aww man..." Goku sighed, standing up and walking to the bathroom to take his clothes off. The girls all giggled.

Goku re-entered the room a little while later, blushing, only dressed in some vibrant pink boxers with yellow smiley faces all over them. "Hey," Chi-Chi grinned, "I got you those." (^.^)

Goku sighed and sweat dropped, walking over to the lamp. He pulled the lampshade off. He put it over his head, then stood there for a moment. "...Like this?"

Bulma got her camera ready, everyone snickering. "Yeah," Krillin said, "Now dance."

Reluctantly, Goku started dancing about stiffly. Everyone watched, not really amused.

"You can't dance worth crap, Kakarot." Vegeta said, and everyone laughed some.

"Well I'm being forced to do this," Goku retorted, "Plus there's no music to dance to."

Jack pulled a small remote out of no where, pressed a button, and suddenly rap music blasted out of speakers on the walls. "Wish granted."

Goku mumbled, but started dancing anyways. It seemed his embarrassment soon ebbed away as he got into the music, dancing around oddly, yet it was funny to watch. He did suck at dancing still. Everyone was laughing like crazy. When the song ended, Jack turned the music off and Goku went and got dressed then returned. Bulma had taken a nice number of pictures. 

"Okay Goku," Krillin said, regaining his composure, "Your turn to pick someone."

"Um...I pick...Vegeta!" Goku declared after a moment of hesitation.

"Wonderful," Vegeta growled sarcastically.

"Truth or Dare?"

"Dare."

Goku grinned. He looked around, thinking. _'What would really be a great dare...'_ He wondered, looking for things that may aid him in this aspect. His eyes fell on Bulma and he smiled.

"Vegeta, I dare you to switch clothes with Bulma and get your picture taken."

"WHAT!?" Vegeta asked, horrified.

"I said I dare you to-"

"I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID, MORON!"

"Then why did you-"

"THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL I'M WEARING WOMEN'S CLOTHING!"

"Then drink some of the concoction." Goku said, picking the glass of the slimy greenish-black "liquid" up and offering it to the young prince. Vegeta looked at it with an upturned lip.

"C'mon, you gotta drink it or wear Bulma's clothes."

Vegeta frowned and glanced at what Bulma was wearing. It was a pink skirt and white shirt that said Bulma in swirly letters in matching pink. The sleeves on the shirt went to her elbows and was V-cut. His frown deepened and his gaze went back to the concoction. Slowly a bubble surfaced and popped, splaterring some green mess over the edge of the glass's rim and also giving forth a disgusting smell.

"FINE!" He growled, not believing he was about to do this. He stood up, at the same time grabbing Bulma's arm and pulling her to her feet. She blinked as she was pushed to the bathroom. The others watched, smiling, and Goku put the glass down. Chi-Chi picked up Bulma's camera, ready.

A few minutes later, Vegeta came back, red as a beet, dressed in Bulma's attire. It was much too small for him, and it exposed some of his muscular stomach, the shirt's sleeves only reaching halfway to his elbows because of his large biceps. The skirt looked very very wrong and was just long enough to keep him completely covered. He kept pulling down at it, clearly mortified and pissed beyond belief, staring at the carpet with a scowl as he blushed.

The others were barely able to stop from crying, their laughing was so hard. Chi-Chi took pictures, trying to hold the camera straight through her giggles. Vegeta was starting to wish he had just taken the damn concoction.

Finally he couldn't stand the humiliation any longer and stormed back to the bathroom. He and Bulma then returned, her dressed in her clothes again which were slightly stretched now, and him in his previous clothes. The others finally controlled their laughter, Goku wiping a tear from his eye.

Vegeta mumbled, crossing his arms, as Bulma and him resumed their places in the circle, Bulma gigglign some. He glared at her slightly, then looked to Goku and scowled heavily. Goku rubbed the back of his head, grinning, "Hey you would have thought it was just as funny if it had been me in your place and you in mine." 

Vegeta growled. That wasn't going to do for him because it _hadn't_ been that way. It had embarrassed _him_, not Goku. And he couldn't wait to get Goku back. He recalled it was his turn, and, mumbling still, looked around the circle. He wished he could pick Goku, but it was against the rules to pick the person whp picked you right away. _'Damn rules...'_

He decided to pick the only girl in the circle he didn't know. He pointed to Claire. "Uh...you...Truth or Dare?"

Claire crossed her arms. She wasn't going to take a chance of getting embarrassed badly. "Truth."

Vegeta looked at her, thinking. What was he going to ask a chick he didn't even know? Well, obviously, he knew she and Jack were going out. He decided to atleast make it interesting. 

"All right then. What are the weirdest boxers you've ever seen Jack wear?" 

She blinked, then looked up thoughtfully, putting a finger to her chin, "Well, probably the ones that-"

Jack's hand flew over her mouth and he glares at Vegeta, blushing, "You can't do that! It's not even embarrasing to her!"

"There's no where in the rules that says you can't ask questions that relate to other people." Vegeta argued. "Now let her talk, and breathe, for that matter."

Growling Jack removed his hand reluctantly, and Claire took a greatful breath.

"Now answer." Vegeta said.

"Well once he was wearing these weird furry...pink ones. They were kind of cute actually, and really soft..."

"Er, okay, that's enough." Vegeta stopped her from going into how she would know this. He snickered though at the thought of furry pink boxers, and the other guys laughed as the girls giggled. Jack turned a slight shade of pink, mumbling some.

Claire's turn. She smirked, looking at 18, "Truth or Dare, 18?"

18 wasn't surprised she was picked. Claire probably wanted to embarrass her. She wasn't going to chicken out. "Dare," She replied firmly, thinking, _'Do your worst.'_

Claire's smirk broadened. "I dare you to flash all the guys, right now. Well, except Jack."

Jack and all the other guys blinked, then Jack frowned slightly in disappointment. Piccolo looked really to start hyperventalating. This was all too familiar, and the other guys knew it. Goku handed him a paper bag, sweatdropping. "It's okay Piccolo, you can do this...without fainting."

Piccolo blew the back up and smacks Goku over the head with it, poppign it. "Shut up!"

18 blushed slightly, but regained her composure quickly. "Well, I guess I'm taking your job for the moment, Bulma."

Bulma blushed, "Shut up! That was long time ago..."

"Well close your eyes girls." 18 said, grabbing the bottom of her shirt with both hands.

Chi-Chi and Bulma covered their eyes, and Claire covered Jacks with one hand, making him pout, then her own with her other. 18 took ina breath, blushing. She closed her eyes and lifted her shirt and bra at the same time, closing her eyes.

All the guys could do was stare, and Krillin, Goku, and Vegeta waited to hear a thump, but hearing none, they pried their eyes from er..yeah, ( A.N.: -_-; ) then looked at Piccolo in surprise. The namekian was just staring with wide eyes, mouth open sightly. The others discovered their faces mirrored his own.

18 dropped her clothes back in place and crossed her arms, looking to the side, her blush gone, now looking amazingly calm and uncaring. The four men all shut their mouths at the same time. They cleared their throats. "Okay, she did it." Krillin squeaked. The other men laughed as the others ncovered their eyes. Jack looked disappointed that he had missed it. Claire looked disappointed that 18 didn't seem very embarrassed. Bulma and Chi-Chi looked slightly irritated because of the looks on Goku's and Vegeta's faces. 18 looked unscathed.

"Wow Piccolo, you didn't faint this time!" Vegeta smirked.

(A.N.: For further reference to what they are talking about, see my High School fic, chapter "Slumber Party." [Er, I think that's what it was called anyways..o.O]) 

Piccolo glared at him. Krillin was blushing but looked pleased at the same time, in a frightened, "that-was-a-first" kind of way. "Er, your turn 18." He saod after clearing his throat.

Without even looking at her, 18 said, "Chi-Chi, Truth or Dare?"

Chi-Chi blinked, surprised at first. Then she decided on truth.

"Have you ever thought of Vegeta in a more-then-a-friend kind of way?"

"No." Chi-Chi replied simply.

"Okay."

Everyone blinked.

"I choose you," Chi-Chi said, pointing at Leroy. "Truth or Dare?"

"Well, sista, I'm gonna have to pick truth. Don't wanna take my chances with a clever-lookin' girl like yourself, might regret it." Leroy smiled.

Chi-Chi smiled some, "All right. Um...Do you think anyone in the circle is attractive, and who?"

"Well, I cannot tell a lie, and that be the truth. I'm gonna have to admit, all yall ladies in this circle are _fine_." 

This caused all the girls to blush some. Leroy winked at 18, who growled slightly. He too, had seen the flash.

"Now, it is mah turn, so yall foo's betta' watch out on what you choose because this black brotha' has one clever mind." Leroy smirked. The only two who had not been dared (or truthed) yet were Bulmaa nd Jack. He looked from one to the other.

"Jack, my brother, I'm gonna have to pick you because it aint my style to pick on the ladies. Truth or Dare?"

"Dare." Jack smirked.

"A'ight, A'ight.." Leroy looked about thoughtfully. He smirked, winking at Jack, "I dare ya to give every one of these ladies a love tap, if ya know what I'm sayin'."

The girls all blinked, spare Claire, and Jack grinned broadly. He then smirked and seemed to give an appriciative nod to Leroy and looked at Claire. Claire smiled, knowing what he meant, and sat up on her knees. He pulled her to him, kissing her softly while giving her butt a firm swat.

(A.N.: Ooo..PG-13. o.O; )

He then let go of her and smiled, standing up and walking to the next closest girl, Bulma. She looked up at him, not standing, blushing slightly. Jack grabbed her arm and began pulling her to her feet. In an instant, Vegeta broek his hold on her and was standing between them, Bulma behind his back, his arms crossed firmly as he glared at Jack. Jack growled.

"Yo, yo, cool yo' jets, bro, this is a dare and you can't interfere. If you do, you get a nice gulp of the concotion." Leroy said. Vegeta growled, but looking at the disgusting glass of who knows what, he slowly stepped out of the way, looking to the side.

Smiling, Jack spun Bulma around, slapped her butt, makinf her squeak and jump, (And Vegeta growl) and continued to do so with the other girls as well. 18 almost blew his head off, but restrained herself. The men, all except Piccolo, who still looked disapproving, looked very very pissed.

The girls looked violated, but they got over it. The men still looked very angry though. Leroy had obviously done Jack a favor, both were grinning at each other. Vegeta growled deeply.

"Okay Jack," Leroy said, "You're turn, brother."

"Well, well.." Jack said, looking around the circle, "Who to pick.." He smirked, looking at Bulma, the only one that hadn't gone yet. "How about you my fine young lady. Truth or Dare?"

Bulma, obviously not wanting to get dared by this guy, said "Truth."

"Aww..." Jack looked somewhat disappointed. But then he smiled. "If you were to choose any man in this circle, who would it be?"

Bulma looked relieved, then pointed to Vegeta. "Him."

Jack curled his lip up, looking at Vegeta in disbelief. "This guy?"

"Yeah..." Bulma said.

"Are you going out with him?"

She nodded some. He snorted, "This girl has problems or something.."

Vegeta growled, clenching his fists, "Watch what you say."

"Oh you recognized that as an insult to you? Good boy! you aren't as retarded as you look."

"That's it." Vegeta growled, storming toward him. Jack raised his fists, smirking, "Bring it."

Vegeta perked a brow, stopping his advance toward him. "Need I remind you that your punch didn't hurt at all in the third test?"

Jack suddenly looked much less confident, and visably paled. "I er..." He straightened up, dropping his arms at his sides then cleared his throat. "Well, that was really a fun round. Let's keep going, shall we? You're turn, uh..what's your name?"

"Bulma."

"Yeah, Bulma. Now...Remember Piccolo," He smirked again, "Your dare has to be carried out tonight."

Piccolo mumbled, nodding. "Yeah, Yeah...I know.."

_**~*~**_

And that's it for this chapter! Sorry it took so long. Thank you all you readers for your reviews! And I promise the next chapter wont take so long! Thanks again and please keep the reveiws coming! ^.^ 


	4. Piccolo's Dare

Chapter 4 

**Disclaimer:** Don't own anything except my own characters, SO OFF MY BACK ! o_O; I'm too poor to sue. >.>;

*Clears her throat.* Hello and welcome to the 4th chapter of College, Dbz Style. In todays "episode" you will find out what Piccolo's dare is, and also what's been bugging him! And about Karina. Ooo...isn't this fun. A Piccolo based chapter! Yay! o.o; Well, I'll shut up. Enjoy.

**Shout Outs:** Uh...everyone that is reviewing! THANKS!! ^___^

  


_**~*~**_

It was about 8:00P.M. Vegeta looked about the room, then yawned. The frat. house was pretty wrecked, thanks to different groups from the Truth or Dare games. Misplaced things, trash on the floor, etc. It seemed like someone had been dared to eat a weird combination of foods at one point, a bowl on the counter that was empty but had remains of various foods and a spoon. He shook his head.

_'Thank Kami THAT'S over...'_ He thought. They had gone through more dares and truths, unfortunately At least he didn't have to wear anymore girls clothes. He wondered what that dare Jack had given Piccolo's was. He still hadn't done it yet.

"Okay," A voice said, and everyone in the room, who was all the girls and boys, who were now chatting about the games they had just played and what had happened, to turn to look at them. It was Jack, Claire at his side, his arm snaked around her waist again. He was smirking.

"Now that we've all had fun playing truth or dare-" At this someone coughed loudly, "-We should all go out to eat. Tomorrow we will make the cuts for the frat. and sorority. You'll see who's in on two separate papers-- one for the frat and one for the sorority, of course-- and if your name is not on that list...Too bad, so sad. Pack your bags and get out. We've been delayed in deciding, thanks to the third initiation task. And even if your name _is_ on the paper, you're not guaranteed in. We still have to do the brotherhood ceremony, and well...the girls don't have that, so if your name is on the paper and you're a girl, then don't worry. But GUYS, don't get over confident."

_'He talks too much...'_ Piccolo thought, mumbling.

Goku appeared to be asleep, sitting on the couch (one of many) next to Chi-Chi, his head resting on her shoulder, snoring lightly. Jack glanced at him, eyebrow twitching. "HEY!!" 

Both the sweat dropping Chi-Chi and the now awakened Goku, jumped, startled. "MONKEYS!? WHERE!?" Goku shouted, looking around eagerly. Everyone looked at him oddly. He blinked, then sweat dropped, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry...I had a dream..It was really weird." 

Jack coughed, then cleared his throat, "AS I WAS SAYING," He glared at Goku, then looked at the others in the room pleasantly, "Let's eat!"

A mixture of nods and spoken acknowledgments and agreements chorused around the room, and everyone headed for the door. "WAIT YOU IDIOTS!" Jack yelled. Everyone stopped, blinking, and looked back to him, somewhat fearful. He cleared his throat, "You have no idea where we are going, plus how to get there. It's not like you all have your cars or we can take a bus with this many people." He mumbled. "So, we are simply going to the diner a few blocks down, walking. Everyone follow me, understand?"

While everyone said they did, he walked with Claire out the door, then everyone followed, our MAIN BESTEST CHARACTERS THAT THIS AUTHOR DIDN'T CREATE (*Sniff* -.-; ) all in a group. They walked a few blocks and arrived at a large diner, and Jack stood at the door as everyone filed in. He yelled to the person over the crowd that entered first, "HEY! TELL THEM IT'S JACK'S GROUP! THEY'LL GIVE US ENOUGH TABLES!" The person nodded and Jack continued watching everyone filter in.

As Piccolo was passing the door and going in, his arm was suddenly yanked on and he was pulled over to (guess who?) none other then Jack. (Good guess! o.o; ) The others blinked, stopping and watching. Jack whispered into his large ear, making the sensitive-eared namekian wince slightly, and then his skin turned a shade of green paler then his regular healthy bright green color at what Jack said. "HERE!?" Piccolo exclaimed, pulling away from Jack and looking at him incrediously. 

"Here." Jack nodded. Piccolo growled, glaring at him, then mumbled to the others "C'mon.." As he walked inside. They exchanged confused glances then followed. Since they were the last people, Jack entered after them, still smirking.

It was a nice diner, with the usual signs on the tables advertising deserts and drinks and such, and everyone got a table and a few waiters and waitresses took drink orders and passed out menus. Soon, the place was alive with chatter.

"Hey, Piccolo, what was with you and Jack at the entrance?" Goku asked, blinking.

Piccolo shook his head, "It's...about my dare."

"You're dare?"

"That's right, Green boy has yet to do his dare...whatever _that_ is." Vegeta smirked, "Telling by how you paled, it's going to be good."

Piccolo just glared at him. Bulma cleared her throat, and in attempt to change the subject, she said, "So...are you all looking forward to football starting?" Immediately the group grew silent. She covered her mouth. She hadn't even thought about...

All the eyes glanced uneasily toward Piccolo. Piccolo said in a hoarse whisper, "I don't know if I even want to."

Goku and Vegeta exchanged glances, somewhat shocked. Goku put his hand on Piccolo's shoulder, "Piccolo...it wasn't your fault."

Piccolo brushed his hand off, looking to the side. Bulma looked down. She hadn't meant to arouse a touchy subject. Ever since...

"I'd like a beer." Jack said loudly at the table next to them, "And a margarita for my pretty little friend here." And of course, Claire was seated, grinning, next to him. The waitress nodded and walked to them. "Drinks?"

After they had gotten drinks ordered, the subject was hastily changed to lighten the mood. Basketball. A good, non-touchy, memory-bringing-back subject. They all had become interested in it in the last few years, and had gone out for the team and made it, unsurprisingly. They played as fair as possible, only using their powers in dier situations; such as a tie-breaking slam dunk, a 2-second-left-on-the-clock-three-pointer, and also Piccolo had gotten rid of some annoying cameras that nearly blinded him and his tea mates during championship games. Needless to say, they had been City Champs the years they were on the team, and with flying colors.

Soon the drinks arrived, and they then gave their orders. The waiters and waitresses were shocked at Goku and Vegeta's large orders but took them none the less, with wide eyes.

There was silence for a moment, not sure of what to talk of, but then Goku decided to get something off his chest that had been bugging him. In the back of his mind he wanted to get it out. "Piccolo..." He said carefully, "Are you really not going to be with the football team?"

Piccolo looked forward and didn't reply.

"C'mon Pic..."

"Don't Call me that."

"Sorry."

"There's nothing you could have done." Vegeta interrupted, his eyes on Piccolo. Goku looked at him, but Piccolo still didn't avert his gaze from it's non-focusing stare forward. However, he was holding his napkin, and his grip on it increased, his hand shaking as he said thickly, "I could have walked her. If I hadn't have been so absorbed in damn practice-"

"There was no way you would have known what was going to happen." Vegeta interrupted again, growling slightly. "Stop agonizing over something that could not have been prevented."

"STOP AGONIZING!?" Piccolo growled loudly, slamming his fist on the table and leaning forward as he stood from his seat, his face in Vegeta's. "It _was_ my fault! I could have just walked walked her home, it would have taken 10 minutes, but instead I was too worried about missing a little bit of practice!!"

The entire place was silent and watching. He had unconsciously been raising his voice as he yelled. He glanced around, realizing other people were there, and sat down, leaning back, arms crossed over his chest. He seemed to shrink in his seat, his face troubled. 

Slowly the chatter came back around them, but their table stayed silent. Chi-Chi, 18, and Bulma were looking quietly at their hands in their laps, while Goku seemed suddenly amazed by the ice cubes in his drink, swirling them with his straw as he stared at them, making the only noise from the table. Krillin watched as if he was fascinated as well. Vegeta looked frustrated, his arms crossed, looking to the side, but he seemed somewhat defeated at the same time. 

__

Their senior year, near the end of football season, Piccolo, Goku, Vegeta, and Krillin were all excited about the big championship game right around the corner. So were all the girls. The day before the game, Friday, the football team was having one last practice right after school. The cheer leading squad had decided they had their routine down well enough that there was no need for a practice.

After school, Chi-Chi and Bulma headed off, waving their good-byes, and 18 left Karina after a moment of talking. She had to get her hair done. Piccolo was rushing away with the guys to get ready for practice, but Karina grabbed his arm, stopping him. He told the others he'd be there in a sec, and turned his attention, though he still seemed distracted, to Karina.

Her chartreuse hair framed face lit up with a smile, "I hope you do wonderful tomorrow. I'll be cheering you on."

He smiled some, "Thanks. I better get to practice so I can do my best-"

"Wait, Piccolo?" She tilted her head and smiled apologetically for interrupting him. He glanced in the direction of the football field.

"Yes, Karina?"

"Could you walk me home, please? I know you have to get to practice, but I don't want to walk home on my own. I want to be with you." She smiled and hugged his arm gently, smiling up at him.

Piccolo glanced at the field again, hesitating, "Karina, I don't think-"

"Please Piccolo?"

He looked down at her and sighed some, pulling his arm softly away from her grasp, but then wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forehead, "I better not. Sorry, but I'll promise I'll take you to the game tomorrow, we can even walk if you want." He smiled, looking at her.

She frowned a little, but then smiled and kisses his lips briefly. "All right.."

He let her go, "See you tomorrow, Karina." He said, then hurried toward the field.

"Bye..." After watching him go out of sight, Karina sighed and turned around, heading for home.

That night at 8:00P.M., Piccolo got a call from Karina's parents. Her mother was frantic, "Oh Piccolo, It's horrible!! I can't believe-"

"What is it?" Piccolo asked, his expression turning somewhat worried. The other guys were right there with him, sitting in his basement. He was on the portable phone. Their chatter stopped and they looked at him when they heard the foreboding question.

Karina's mother quickly continued, her voice high and scared, "Karina never came home from school, and I waited a few hours from the usual time she arrives, but when she still hadn't come two hours later I called the police. I showed them the route she usually walks, and they searched, and found her purse."

Piccolo felt his heart sinking into his stomach as Karina's mother broke into tears. "And..?" He asked, wanting to know more, but at the same time reluctant to know.

"A-and they found blood!!" Karina's mother sobbed, "There was supposively some man who tried to grab her, and he put up a struggle and dropped her p-purse." She was talking a million miles a minute again and Piccolo had to hold his breath and listen carefully to make sure he caught everything through her sobs, "T-then the police said that a-apparently in the struggle Karina fell and scrapped her knee badly. T-then that's it. There were no signs of the man, or woman, for all we know, a-and Karina is no where to be found!!"

The next day there was still no sign of Karina. Piccolo didn't go to the game. The team still won, but Goku and the others were worried. Karina didn't show up the next week, either. Nor during summer. Now, Piccolo was shattered and had lost all hope. No one thought it possible that the kidnapper had kept her alive.

The waitress had returned with their orders. Actually, a few waitresses and waiters had to carry Goku's and Vegeta's out. Piccolo only had one plate. He didn't eat any of it. He just shoved it around on his plate with his fork. Everyone else ate as if they were starving, happy for the interruption in the silence and uncomfortable sense around them.

Piccolo eventually seemed to lighten up, but not much. He still didn't eat anything, but he never ate much of anything. He did have a lot of refills of his water, however. Finally they got him to smile when Goku talked about one of their high school memories.

"A-and then, after that, Chi-Chi mooned us!!" Goku said through his laughter. Chi-Chi joined Bulma in blushing. 

"And THUNK!" Vegeta joined, laughing, "Piccolo was out on the ground! Totally unconscious!"

Piccolo smiled and laughed a little. "Yeah, then I finally got over it."

"That was hilarious!" Krillin chuckled.

"I thought when 18 flashed us earlier today he was going to pass out again!" Goku laughed. 18 smacked him over the head, blushing. Goku held his head. "OW!" Everyone else laughed.

Jack stood from his table and slowly moved to their's. He arrived at the side of Piccolo, and tapped the green one's arm, a devilish smirk in place. As Piccolo looked up to him, he said, "It's time."

Piccolo was torn between kind of wanting to do it and not wanting to. He was happy for the change of subject. However, he did not want to do his dare for reasons that will soon become obvious to all you readers. He sighed and stood slowly. 

"Fine."

"Now remember..." Jack whispered into Piccolo's green, pointy ear. Piccolo waved him off, "Yeah, yeah. I know.." He mumbled under his breath and walked toward the bathroom. The others blinked. A still-smirking Jack returned to his seat.

After a small pause, Vegeta burst, "So his dare was to take a piss!?"

Everyone around him sweat dropped. Goku shook his head, "No, of course not. I think he's going to surprise us...somehow."

Suddenly their conversation was interrupted by blaring music that sounded like it should be in some kind of strip bar. Everyone immediately looked about in confusion, then their gazes fell on the huge boom box on Jack's table, Jack himself removing his hand from the play button and nodding his head to the beat of the wild music with an evil smirk.

Everyone then looked to the direction of a loud crash. Standing there on one of the long tables many of the frat and sorority members, or soon-to-be (possibly anyways), was none other then-

"PICCOLO!?"

Vegeta and Goku stared with shocked faces as the girls gasped and covered their mouths. The namekian stood attired in only his pants, no shirt, no shoes. He was flushed bright purple, and looked like he was contemplating (Thanks, Sarah, for giving me that word o.O; ) suicide right then and there or going through with what he was doing. He decided he was too young to die, and sighed, stepping forward. He might as well get it over with.

And even enjoy himself? No, that was impossible. All the embarrassment and pure shame killed all the possible chances of having fun. Even so, he began dancing to the music, slowly at first, then picked up the beat. He shook his booty, kicked some glasses off, and was actually getting applause. His hands moved to the waist band of his pants, unclasping the buckle of his belt and pulling it off. He snapped it in the air, smirking. Maybe he was enjoying this-- but only to a point! Ah, who's he foolin'? He _was_ having fun! He let his pants drop. He kicked them off, his black boxers with lightning bolts all over them now on full display.

Bulma and Chi-Chi exchanged glances while 18 rubbed her temples.

Vegeta sank down in his seat covering his eyes, "Please...no more..."

Goku looked away, one hand at the side of his face, "I don't know him..."

Krillin looked pitifully upward. "What have I done to deserve this?"

Piccolo sweat dropped, looking at them and turned his back to them. He dropped the belt, mumbling, "I'm not THAT bad..am I?" He looked down. Apparently not. There were many girls screaming and reaching towards him. Some with--What? Were his eyes deceiving him?--MONEY in their hands!? _'Sweet,'_ He thought with a smirk. He resumed dancing.

Some of the girls grabbing the bottoms of his boxers and began yanking on them. "ACK!" He quickly grabbed the waist band, holding them up. He watched as one girl took all the money from the other girls' hands and jumped on a chair and stuffed it all into the waist band of his boxers then screamed giddily, trying to hug him. He blushed some as he kicked the chair back, making the girl (the chair was facing away from the table) roll back with tremendous speed through the crowd, hit a different table, and fall off with a squeak.

_'Man, this money ITCHES!'_ He thought, irritated. Well, he might as well get the dare fulfilled and give these ladies what they were paying for. He tried not to smirk. He was enjoying this!? Impossible! It was too embarrassing, too not him, too--Okay so he was enjoying himself. It was just this ONE time anyways. How could it hurt?

He gripped the waist band of his boxers once again, taking a deep breath, his chest swelling. He was gonna do it, and he would do it like a man. He tensed his arms slightly, lifting his elbows slightly, then with a mighty yank- 

"OUT!! NOW!!!" A waiter screamed, pointing to the doors.

Piccolo had stopped what he was about to do from shock of the noise. He looked at the waiter and growled, flipped him off, then yanked his boxers down. The girls yelled and cheered while most men averted their gaze.

Vegeta took off his jacket he had gotten from high school off and while trying not to look at him, yanked him off the table and threw it around his waist, the back of the jacket in front of Piccolo's lower area. "Let's get out of here!" Vegeta growled, shoving Piccolo toward the doors. The waiter was screaming still for them all to get out and was turning red in anger. He grabbed jack by the collar of his shirt while he was making his way out.

"You better NEVER show your face in here again or I'll call the police on you!" He shoved him away from him and growled, walking back to the kitchens. Jack dusted his shirt front off, mumbling. The manager made her way to him through the dispersing crowd. "That was interesting.." She smiled, "Hey, he may not be able to come _here_ anymore but hey, I'll tell ya what. If you bring him to the bar on Friday nights, I'll see that you and your group all get in free..." She winked, smirking as she walked off.

"Heh.." Jack walked out the door of the now quiet Diner.

**_~*~_**

Back at the Frat, the girls said their good-byes, some giving Piccolo a playful wink, making the green man blush violet. Vegeta shook his head, mumbling. Piccolo's only attire was still _his_ jacket.

_'So...'_ He thought, _'**That** was the dare...Ugh...'_

**_~*~_**

Sorry that took so long guys! But hey, IT'S SUMMER! WOOT! Now there hopefully will be faster updates, and I have the whole story planned out now. It's lookin' great guys, with action, humor, romance, mystery, and tons of surprises, so stick around! Please review! ^_^


	5. And The Plot Thickens

**Disclaimer:** I don't own nothin'...SO BACK OFF! o.O; Well, I do own SOME of them, but none of the Dragonball Z characters. *Sigh* -_-

**~*~**

The next day after the whole diner incident, after everyone was rested and minds were cleared--to a point. Jack announced that this was the day that they would do the brotherhood acceptance..thingy. (o.O; ) After many interviews in a dark room, a bright spotlight on the one being interviewed, the others all present...in the darkness, hidden from sight. Who knows which one would strike next with a question of EVIL...and doom. (o.O; Jk)

"What would you do if your girlfriend didn't approve of you joining this frat?"

"Uh...well, she was actually the one that **suggested** I join one."

"...That doesn't answer the _hypothetical_ question." -_-; 

"Oh...well, I'm practically ruled by my girlfriend, so I guess I wouldn't join here." ^_^

"Well then, I guess you will just have to GET OUT!"

o_o "Wait--I didn't mean-"

"OUT!!!"

-_- "Aw, damn."

"NEXT!"

Someone else sat down in the chair, squinting against the light.

"Okay, now, if one of your brothers were in trouble with the authorities, what would you do?"

"Well...Uh..I guess I'd call mama for help!" ^_^

"Ugh...Idiot. You're outta here. NEXT!!" 

Another person sat down. "Man this light is frickin' blinding!" x_X

"What would you do if one of your brothers--as in NON-BLOOD RELATED BROTHER, _Frat brother,_-- got drunk in a public bar and passed out, what would you do?"

"I'd be his designated driver back to the Frat!" ^_^

"Good. Now...What would you do if you found out one of your brothers had weed hidden somewhere?"

"TIEN!" Another guy yelled, "You ass, you know that we don't allow drugs in here!" -_-;;

"In that case," The guy being interviewed said, "I'd tell Jack and get his ass busted! Muahahaha!!"

"Good enough...NEXT!"

And so, the interviews went on, and the frat members number was dramatically decreased. Man, that interview was tough! Get one wrong answer and you get kicked out. This is a high-maintenance frat, right here. Luckily, all of the gang got in! Yay! (Thanks to me, or else there wouldn't be much of a fic, now would there? ^.^; )

So, everyone was happy as could be. Well, except the people that didn't get in. They went through living hell getting back home, being at home and getting yelled at by parents, then being forced to live with them for the next 6 years of their lives! But, that's another story!

All the remaining and now official frat members then learned the official frat handshake, which was very complicated and long. There were work sheets, tests, and hours of study on this long and hard hand shake. On the final test, they were all required to do it right. And they did. It took about five minutes to do completely, and by the time they were done they were short of breath and sweaty.

After the long training of the handshake, the pledge was learned.

Frat Pledge

When things get tough,

And things get bad,

And everthing's rough,

I'll do my best to not get mad.

  


And if I do,

And shoot someone,

It will be to,

My brothers I run.

  


For I know that when I'm in trouble,

They'll be there to save,

With a shovel,

To help dig an unmarked grave.

  


Beers and chicks,

Trouble and cops,

We'll get our licks,

And drink some shots.

  


But through thick and thin,

And all through that stuff,

We'll have been,

Brothers, strong and tough.

  


Now we say goodbye and farewell,

And shall end this rhyme,

Not a single soul you shall tell,

Or you'll get your ass kicked in no time.

And so, the pledge and handshake embedded and drilled into their minds forever, they were ready to be good frat brothers. School started next week, and they would go through it together. Just like in the pledge, they were devoted together, and if they needed, they would help bury a body. Hopefully, it didn't come to that. 

(It's hard thinking like a guy. -_-; )

**~*~**

Classes had started, and finally the gang was somewhat used to the campus after the first week. Goku had kept getting lost, running into lockers or people when he turned a corner. Everyone had kind of been confused as well, after all, the school WAS huge. The halls were wide and gleaming from the excellence of knowledge, of education, of--the janitor's floor buffers!

Piccolo was getting less distracted about Karina as the homework piled up, but at night, when the only sounds were Vegeta's and Goku's snoring and disturbing noises from Jack's room, he would get lost in thought. He didn't sleep much anymore. He would stare at the ceiling, being on the top bunk, Goku on the bottom, and think about the past. He _hated_ the past. (**A/N:** On the other bunk bed on the other side of the room, Vegeta was on the top bunk and Krillin was on the bottom)

The girls were doing alright in the sorority. But Claire and 18 were always at each other's throats, making whity remarks and sneering at each other every chance they got. They rolled their eyes so much at one another, you'd think they'd be stuck spinning in circles. Otherwise, class was going pretty good, except for the homework. Bulma, being Miss Brains, was taking the hardest classes in the categories of well, everything. Vegeta sometimes worried about her not getting enough sleep, though he didn't let anyone else know that.

Sometimes she fell asleep in the middle of a conversation with him on the phone, or when she was awake and around them, she would be wired on caffeine and would be freakishly hyper. And giddy. It made Vegeta want to shoot her, she was so annoying. Of course, he'd never really do that, but he was getting really irritated. Finally, he talked some sense into her, with the help of 18 and Chi-Chi, and she cut down on some classes and was now on a regular sleeping schedule.

So already the first few weeks of college had flown by, and were now on a steady track. Jack had been trying to get Piccolo to come with him to the bar every Friday, but the Namekian refused each time. He had better things to do. Lately, after he'd take a shower, he's sit on the floor, towel around his waist, cross legged. He left the shower running. The sound of water calmed him. He closed his eyes and went into silent meditation of thought and also concentrating his power. He accidently broke the glass of the mirror once with an electric shock that flew from him during meditation. He had told Jack he had been angry and threw a shoe at it. Jack wasn't too mad.

Still, Piccolo didn't feel right. He still didn't feel a sense of release from Karina. He kept blaming himself. If only he had walked with her. And she had wanted him to so baldy, and like a selfish ass he had said no. He cursed himself in the night, and sometimes had to go outside and yell in rage. He only went outside to prevent from waking the whole fraternity up. Vegeta and Goku's sensitive saiyan ears picked it up though. And they woke up, unlike Krillin, the amazing Mr. Log. They would sit up in the darkness and glance at each other, then, w hen hearing Piccolo in the hallway, would lie back down and pretend to be undisturbed. They listened to him getting it bed. More then once they heard sobs choking his throat.

**~*~**

It was Friday afternoon, and Piccolo was in one of his tougher classes. He didn't know quite what he wanted to major in yet, so he was experimenting around with all different varieties of fields. This one, which was an advanced calculus class, was soon becoming one of his least favorites.

He used to just cheat mostly in high school. Until he was a senior. He had a good teacher then that was kind and not a slave driver, and also was just a plain good teacher. He had been able to teach in a way Piccolo understood easily, and he had found out then that he was actually very good in math, he just hadn't learned how to do it correctly until now. But this class, this class was very hard.

While trying to figure out a seemingly endless equation he sighed, running a hand over his bald head, smoothing his antennas back. They sprung back forward once his hand was no longer upon them, and he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. The shock of him being green, big, and pointy-eared with antennae had long passed for his classmates. They didn't even really notice that much anymore.

Of course, Bulma was in this class, and she breezed through her problems as if they were nothing. Oh yes, he hated her sometimes. But she also helped him, and she wasn't that bad of a tutor. Vegeta and Goku, of course, were way too stupid to be in there. They were focusing on majoring in mostly physical careers, but also had to take a few core classes. Just not as hard ones.

All students were at quiet work, when suddenly the silence was pieced by the sound of breaking glass, followed by a womanly scream as heads all over the classroom shot up and looked around. The window of the classroom was broken. On the wall across from it, a knife was now embedded in the wall, a folded paper pierced by the knife and now trapped between the wall and knife's hilt. On the letter was a single word.

Piccolo.

In panic, most of the students stood and started filing out of the classroom, as constructed by the obviously shock-struck teacher. Piccolo just sat there, staring at the letter with his name on it, pinned to the wall by a blade. Bulma ran to him, putting her hands on his shoulders. Her voice was high pitched and full of worry, "I'm scared."

He swallowed and stood up. "Don't be. Go find Vegeta and the others, and I'll meet you guys at the frat." She watched him and when he didn't move, she nodded quickly, running out of the classroom. Once she was gone, Piccolo walked to the knife and lifted his arm, grabbing the handle and pulling it free from the wall. He took the letter off of the blade and unfolded it slowly, then held it open, reading.

As he read further his heartbeat increased like crazy, and his eyes darted from one side to the other as he began to read faster. His hands gripped the sides of the paper so tightly it began to rip down the middle. He finished, and reread it a few times. Trembling, he shoved it in his pants pocket and shot out of the room.

Looking one way then the other, he took the left, taking flight and flying past the walking students. He knocked over a guy carrying a lot of books, and papers flew into the air. A trail of swirling papers followed after him as he flew down the hall, people shouting out angrily or from shock. Teachers scolding shook their fists and yelled, but he ignored them. He landed suddenly at an exit, which was an open doorway of two connecting doors. The papers his speed had dragged along, as well as dust, burst out before him. He looked around quickly before sprinting across the grass of the campus toward the frat.

**~*~**

Vegeta passed the piece of paper to Goku after reading it thoroughly. Everyone was silent in the living room of the fraternity. Of course, Bulma had gotten everyone together easily, telling the teachers that they were to be called to the office. That was a big lie, but no one would find out. Piccolo sat in an armchair, most of the others on couches before him. They were passing the stabbed, half torn letter around, since Piccolo couldn't bring his voice back to read it aloud. 

Goku's pupils contracted as he read.

__

Dear Friend,

It's been hard finding you. Tracing people as they move can sometimes be difficult. We didn't even know of your existence, except when we heard the girl. At night she would cry out again and again, cry out "Piccolo, Piccolo!" It was really rather annoying. So, we decided to find out a little about you. And we did. We made her tell. It's amazing how threats can make the tongue flow like water, and it wasn't threats on her physical behalf that did it, either. We told her we would do horrible things to her that would make her scream, but still she didn't speak. It wasn't until the name of you, and her family, was mentioned, that fear was struck into her eyes. You know how much I love to see that fear? It sends a feeling down my spine that makes me want to see it again, and her fear is so beautiful, I keep her afraid. I know a lot about you. You may get her back, if you follow my instructions. For now, be calm. Go on with your normal life. Don't worry, friend. I'll take wonderful care of her.. 

Goku slowly set it down, and gulped, swallowing the bile that had rose in his throat. His eyes wandered to Piccolo, who stared forward, his hands gripping the arm rests of his chair so tightly, it looked as if his nails were about to pierce the fabric.

"But...what do we do now?" Bulma asked quietly. "There weren't any instructions."

"I'm guessing that," Piccolo finally spoke, his voice surprisingly strong, but troubled, "There will be more."

"More letters?" Goku asked.

"No, more letters." Piccolo said growling slightly.

^_^; Goku rubbed the back of his head, "K!"

Piccolo was irritated at his lack of seriousness in this situation, but Goku soon became serious and somber again. Like everyone else. It had been a pretty long time since Karina's disappearance. It was hardest on Piccolo, of course. But next, it was on the girls. The guys, like Vegeta, hadn't known her incredibly well, but they still knew she was a very nice girl, and amazing person. They had also been saddened when hearing of her disappearance.

"So I guess all we can do is wait, and hope." Chi-Chi sighed. The others nodded in agreement.

Piccolo did not nod, however. He buried his face in his hands, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. "This isn't happening..." He mumbled. 

**~*~**

Piccolo somehow made it through to the weekend without having a mental breakdown. He kept glancing over his shoulders, held his breath every time he opened his locker, and everyone in his math class kept glancing uneasily at him then the duct-taped window.

However, no other knife-thrown notes were believed. So now, Friday night, Piccolo felt like he was going to be climbing the walls soon. The others could tell and felt sorry for him, but they didn't know what they could do. Jack watched him, and noticed something was up as well. He watched the other guys trying to comfort him, and scratched his chin in thought.

"Piccolo, ol' buddy," He said, having walked over, slapping him comfortingly on the shoulder, "I can tell something is eating you, man. You wanna talk about it?"

"No." Piccolo mumbled.

Jack suddenly looked panicked, "You aren't in trouble with..." His eyes shifted from the right to the left and he whispered, "the _authorities_ are you?"

"No," Piccolo looked at him like he was crazy, sweat dropping.

Jack let out a sigh of relief, "Good." He seemed cheery now.

"There's not way I'm going to tell you, and even if I did you couldn't help, so you might as well bug off."

Jack faked an offended look, then smirked, "I'm sure there is _some_ way I can help. I can help get your mind off whatever the situation is."

Jack smirked as Piccolo looked at him, his eye-ridge lifting curiously, "What do you mean?"

"I mean," He said, patting his shoulder, "That I can take you somewhere to help you feel better."

"When?"

"Soon."

"Whata bout my friends?"

"Bring 'em along."

"Are you up to something?"

"No, of course not. I'm just being your big brother, helpin' you out."

"...Fine. Where are you taking us?"

"To Bob's."

"Bob's?"

"Bob's."

"...Bob's?"

"Yes, Bob's."

"...Who is Bob, exactly?"

Jack glanced at the TV then blinked, and smiled as if pleasantly surprised. He grabbed the remote off the couch side table and turned the volume, "See for yourself.."

Piccolo and the other's all turned their heads to the TV as the volume increased, and blinked as a familiar tune, with different words, played.

On the TV, a cheery looking black guy was in front of a bar, dancing all black-style to a re-mixed, jazzy, rap-like version of..

*Annoying People Singing:*

"BOB the tender, can he mix it?"

The scene flashed to the black guy, this time behind a bar, mixing a drink.

**"BOB the tender, Yes he can!"**

"BOB the tender, can he fix it?"

The black man held up the newly concocted drink and winked with a huge smile.

"BOB the tender, Yes he can!"

It showed the outside of Bob's Bar again, this time devoid of the black man, or Bob, and an announcer's voice said quickly: "Wedonotownanymaterialusedbythekiddieshow"BoBTheBuilder,"wejustsimplyusedthecatchytuneforourownadvertisingneeds.Onthecorneroffifthandmain.

Jack turned the TV off and grinned at them, "So, whatcha think? Ready to go?"

Vegeta stared at him like he was an idiot. "Are you on drugs? We aren't 18! We can't get in there, much less drink!"

"You are so naive," Jack snorted. "Ever heard of fake ID's?"

Vegeta narrowed his eyes at him. Jack waved him off, walking into the hallway. He came back, a small camera in his hand. "Everyone against the wall and look pretty." He grinned.

They all stood side by side, back to the wall, while Jack got up close and took a shot of their faces staight on, one at a time. (Vegeta, Goku, Piccolo, and Krillin) instantly, little pictures about an inch wide and inch and a half tall were spat out of the side of the camera. He took them into a room. The others waited quite a while before he came out again, smiling broadly.

They watched and blinked as he handed them each a card, an ID card, with fake names and ages, but their pictures placed as if real ones in the proper spot. They lifted them to the light and examined them, but couldn't find any flaws.

"How did you...?" Krillin asked, blinking.

"I have my ways." Jack smirked, "Now, let's get out of here."

**~*~**

I was going to make this chapter longer, but I decided this was a good leave off point, to keep you all in suspense. =D Cruel really, because I am **going out of town for a week, and will not return until next sunday. Sorry folks.** Upon my return I will begin the fast-pace(hopefully) production of chapter 6! untill then, read and review. 


	6. Night At The Bar

**Disclaimer:** Don't own anything but my own creations, no bars, products, or Dragonball Z Characters.

Okay People, sorry for the long wait, but this was a long chapter! And I WAS gone for a week, so. But I got to finish this up because I had some free time, and I hope you all like it. Please review when you finish! ^.^

~*~

Goku nervously followed behind the others with Krillin as they walked down the crowded street that was alive with lights in the night. The bright neon signs flashing advertisements of casinos, restaurants, beer, and women were like nothing he had never seen before. He was almost scared. Jack was leading the group confidently, Vegeta and Piccolo walking behind him, glancing about. 

"Are we there yet?" Vegeta asked in half irritation, after all, they had been walking for a long time. Jack waved his hand non-chalantly and turned the corner and they followed. Goku and Krillin brought up the rear of the gang, and Goku accidently ran into a black man walking the opposite way.

The black man was outraged. "You wanna start something punk!?"

Goku blinked innocently and held his hands up, "No, I just-"

"When some white foo' pushes me, he wantsta' start somethin'!" 

"I didn't _mean_-"

"Mah **ass** ya didn't mean to push me! Ya foo', I saw you walk right into me!"

"sir, please-"

"Please!? PLEASE?! Puh-LEASE! Walk away!"

"Puh-wha?"

"I SAID walk away! Don't make me walk away, YOU walk away!"

So Goku did. The black man yelled after him, "Yeah, that's what I thought!"

(Credit inserted here to The Dbz Dealer, aka Sarah, who always says that -_-) 

Goku quickly caught up to the others again, who had stopped at a line into a small looking bar. It seemed to be out shined by all the other large things around it, all dim and with only a few neon light signs on the windows. Vegeta snorted.

"Out of all the places on this block, we're going to the most crummy one!?"

Jack rolled his eyes in annoyance looking at Vegeta, "Don't judge a book by it's cover."

Vegeta made a huffing sound and they waited about 10 minutes before being let in. The guard there was a large, muscular black man, power and authority, as well as soul, all around him. "May I see your ID's?" He asked in his deep, thundering voice.

Jack whipped his out with confidence, and the others fumbled with their wallets as they pulled there's out and handed them to him. The guard looked them over and nodded, then looked to Jack through his black shades. "This your party, Jack?" He said this as if Jack was a frequent visitor.

Jack nodded and the guard nodded as well, "'Aight, go on in." They made their way inside. Vegeta had to keep his jaw from dropping, for in that seemingly pathetic, small building was a huge bar, the floors carpeted with the finest shag, the bar itself made of fine oak, the stools before it with matching oak frames and red velvet seats. Everything was polished, the black marble floors, the oak tables, bar, and chairs, even the bottles of various drinks seemed to glimmer in the soft, relaxing light. Pool tables sat away from the tables, and there were various locations of large-screen televisions, where the latest football game was on.

Jack immediately moved to the bar, walking up to it as if he owned the place, sitting on one of the high, velvet-seat stools, his chin up high as he looked around for the bartender. Timidly, with hesitation, the other's followed, slowly. Piccolo sat a few seats away from Jack. This wasn't the greatest "favor" a friend could do in his book, but he decided the reason he came was to get his mind of the latest events in his life, of possible, and plus, he had nothing better to do.

The bartender smiled at Jack as if he was an old friend, "The usual, Jack?"

"You know it, Bob." Jack grinned back. Soon Jack had a glass of hard liquor in front of him, on the rocks. Jack was 20, but not yet 21, and he still had a while to go before he was 21. He didn't like to wait. He'd been drinking illegally since he was 18. (A little history for ya, there. o.O;) 

Goku looked around, noticing many women sitting around the bar in different areas, his eyes taking in their low cut shirts and short skirts, and as one walked past, he could smell the sweet fragrance of her perfume enter his nostrils. Such a sweet, soft, enticing smell. He leaned to the side, trying to stay as close as possible to that wonderful scent...and fell right off the bar stool.

After he shook his head, he rubbed his forehead to look up and see the woman who had the perfume standing over him, frowning with a worried look, "Are you alright?" In his position Goku had a clear view right up her rather short skirt and he blushed completely red, nodding quickly. The woman smiled some and nodded, then began walking away. Goku couldn't help but stare up the back of her skirt until she was out of sight. A strong arm pulled Goku back to his feet, and he looked to the source to see Vegeta.

"You are as red as the frickin' Kool Aid guy." Vegeta said, then arched a brow. _'Kool Aid guy?'_ He thought to himself, _'Where the hell did that simile come from??'_ He shook his head and Goku looked down in embarrassment. Vegeta smirked, Goku taking a seat, and said in his best guilt-bringing voice, "What would Chi-Chi say?"

Goku gulped nervously at the very thought. They hadn't told the girls they were coming here, for reasons clearer then glass. If they were caught coming to a bar, they didn't even want to think about what their girls would say. Piccolo, though, had no one to fear. If Karina was still around, that might be a different story. Krillin was pretty much in the clear, for 18 was a pretty outgoing, take-a-dare woman who probably wouldn't think too much of her guy going out for a drink or two. Still, just to be safe, he didn't tell her. Bulma and Chi-Chi on the other hand...Vegeta and Goku tried not to think about it.

"Chi-Chi?" Goku came up with a come-back, "Bulma would bite your head off if she knew you were here!"

Vegeta just looked forward, as if he hadn't heard him. Goku was sitting next to Jack, Vegeta on his other side, Piccolo still a few seats down from them all. Krillin had gone to find the boy's room in the joint. Jack finally got the attention of the bartender and ordered a shot. He lifted his glass as soon as he got hit, and drank the small glass down in one gulp. He closed his eyes, letting the burning sensation in his throat consume his thoughts. Jack shuddered some, then smiled. "Thanks, Bob."

The black man behind the bar nodded easily, then set his gaze on the other's. "How about you boys?" He asked with a grin, "I ain't neva' seen you 'round 'ere. How 'bout a drink?"

Vegeta looked at him and seemed to be fumbling for words, and Goku looked around as if he was making sure he was one of the people he was addressing. Bob smiled at this. He found it quite amusing. Finally Vegeta found a word that seemed to work, "Sure."

"Aight," Bob encouraged. "What'll it be?" Vegeta looked hesitant. He didn't know many names of alcohols. He decided to just get something he had recently become familiar with. "I'll have a Bud."

As soon as Vegeta had gotten the sentence out, Bob sat a glass in front of him, still grinning. "A Bud Light it is." He lifted a bottle from behind the bar, opened it, and poured the golden liquid into the glass. As he finished filling it, he sat the bottle down and smiled at Vegeta, "Enjoy."

Vegeta stared at the glass. "Thanks." He managed. He hadn't really become fond of the beverage, having had to of drunken so much not that long ago. He took it and had a sip, and resisted gagging. Way too much beer earlier had made him dislike it very much. He half smirked at Bob in mock-appreciation, and quickly averted his gaze, while Bob looked to Goku, "How 'bout you, son?"

"I'm fine!" Goku piped in a high pitched voice, and blinked at himself. Bob chuckled and gave a nod of understanding, his eyes wandering onto the lone wolf, Piccolo.

"How 'bout you?" Piccolo lifted his head to look at him.

"I'll pass," He replied, lowering his chin again. Bob raised an eyebrow and walked down to him, the bar still between them. "You sure? You seem kinda' down."

Piccolo glanced at him, "No thanks."

"Come on, green brotha!" He slapped Piccolo's shoulder, grinning. "I know you ain't scared of a 'lil drink."

"I'm not. I'm just not in the mood."

Bob snapped his fingers, turning his back to him, "I got jus' the thing for ya." Piccolo watched in half interest. Bob seemed to be mixing various drinks into one glass, then turned to him smiling broadly as he set it down. The liquid was a deep, golden amber color, and it was fizzing so much it was almost bubbling over the rim of the tall glass it made it's home in.

Piccolo looked at the glass, not really interested. "C'mon, bro, you'll be thankin' me after ya drink it. Jus' chug it on down."

"Fine..." Piccolo sighed in defeat, moving his fingers around the glass and gripping it gently. He lifted it from the bar and touched the rim to his lips, tilting the bottom up and letting the liquid flow into his mouth and slowly down his throat. It was warm. And very good. It didn't taste like beer. It tasted like something he'd never tasted before.

When he set the glass down it was empty, and he had to take a breath of air. He had guzzled the whole thing down without a break for air, he liked it so much. Bob smiled at him as Piccolo looked up to him with astonishment in his eyes, "Wha...What was that??" He asked, resisting the urge to ask for more.

"I can't tell ya," Bob said, then winked, "Secret home recipe."

Piccolo supposed he had to respect that, and he smiled. For the first time in what seemed like forever, he smiled. That stuff actually HAD made him feel better. "Thanks for the drink." He said with genuine appreciation, and Bob nodded and waved it off with a good-natured grin, "Aint nothin' bro, any time."

Goku glanced around, now starting to get used to the place, his fear loosing it's edge, and now was starting to get bored. He looked to Bob, who was talking with Piccolo. "Uh, 'scuse me, Bob?" Goku asked, and Bob looked up. He looked over at Goku as he continued, "Sorry for interrupting, but can I get a...uh.." Goku swallowed nervously.

"A drink? 'Shore thang, bro." Bob grinned, then excused himself from Piccolo for a moment, walking over to Goku. "What'll it be, brotha?"

Goku looked past Bob at all the drinks, scratching the back of his neck thoughtfully, "Uh, Gee, I don't know.." (Gee? GEE!? Well, this is Goku we're talking about here. He's "GEE" rated. -_-; And Vegeta and Piccolo are PG-13 Lol, jk. Oh, and Krillin is P-"GEE." ANYWAYS..o.o; )

"First time here, eh? Well I think I have somethin' you'll like, bro, jus' hang on a sec." He turned around and looked thoughtfully at the bottles, scratching his chin, which had a black goatee. He snapped his fingers as if he had it (By Joe, I think I have it! o.O; ^_^; Don't mind me. )

and took a small bottle down from the many different shapes and sizes. He got a glass down as well, which looked to be about a half pint size, and filled it with the contents of the bottle. It was clear. He slid it to Goku, "Bottoms up, brotha." He smiled reassuringly. 

Goku did in fact feel comforted by his smile and took it with only a little nervousness, then drank the whole thing in a matter of a few gulps. Goku's pupils suddenly contracted, as he felt a wonderful, thrilling rush shoot through his body, then his pupils dilated, becoming larger then usual. He shook his head and looked around. Suddenly all the colors of the room seemed so bright, so vibrant. It was as if he was in a dream. Everything felt good.

"Wow! That was great!!" Goku exclaimed loudly, and Bob glanced in both directions as Goku ranted on, "Can I have some more, please??"

"Uh, maybe later, bro, but one shot of this stuff can keep you feelin' like that for a long time. An overdose might," He looked again from one side to the other as if someone might be watching that he feared, "well, let's jus' say you wouldn't be feelin' like yo'self in da mornin', 'Aight?"

Goku seemed like he hadn't heard a word, and was now staring at the ceiling, grinning like a mad man. Bob smiled some then glanced down the bar to see some women taking seats there. He moved over to them, "Would yall fine thangs be interested in a drink? I'll charge it to yo tab later, so you don't have to pay right this minute. You can pay when ya leave." 

"All right," The first woman smiled, who's hair was blondish brown and down on her shoulders loosely. Her brown eyes looked around at the variety of drinks behind Bob. She was wearing a blue dress with a long skirt and was v-cut, but not low cut really, with sleeves that reached the elbows and were off the shoulders. "I'll take a martini."

Bob nodded and looked to her two friends. The first was blonde with mysterious eyes that were either gray, blue, or green. It was hard to tell. She wore a black skirt that reached her knees, and a vibrant chartreuse top that resembled the brunette's top in cut style. Her hair was up in a loose pony tail. "I'll take a straight vodka." She said.

The last girl had long, red hair, and wore a black dress that was rather tight fitting. Her eyes were green. Her hair was curled and hung loosely and flowingly behind her. She smiled at Bob after looking over the drinks, "A beer is fine."

(**AN:** There ladies are three real people I decided to tie in the fic for fun. Can you guess who they are? Hehe! ^.^ Of course, they are older in the fic then they would be in real life.)

Jack noticed these women, and his eyes slyly took in each one with a raised brow in interest. He decided since Claire wasn't around, he could at least do some friendly flirting. He smirked and smoothed his spiked brown hair back, which sprung back into the spikes again right away anyways, then stood from his bar stool and slowly made his way toward them, charm in the air all around him like B.O. from a sweaty, dirty football player that had been on the field for 3 hours straight. (Similes are fun! o_O;;;)

The ladies were engaged in conversation, and didn't even glance at him. This was irritating. Almost insulting! When _he_ approached they should have been kissing his feet already! Well, in his opinion anyway. He brought his fist to his mouth and coughed. They still didn't notice him. Now he was getting mad. He cleared his throat loudly. Finally all three turned their heads to him.

Their looks weren't exactly greeting, unless you call blank stares an open invitation, but Jack was oblivious to this fact and too caught up in his act to notice. He was grinning like the Cheshire Cat (which I do not own! -.-;) and diving into Plan A in the book of "Jack's Ways of Coming Onto Women And Having Them End Up All Over You." (This book in not sold in stores, on TV commercials, over the Internet, or anywhere because it is non-existent and is only in this fic as an attempt at a joke to try and add some humor to this story. If you do not find this funny, screw you. I thought it was a good idea, so Nya! *Sticks Tongue Out.*)

"Why, Hello ladies, and let me say you are looking _fabulous_ tonight! I was just sitting over there at the bar when suddenly I felt the radiance of three young beauties like yourself illuminating around the room and couldn't stop myself from coming over to say a word or two."

For your information, I will reveal what Plan A really is. If you will just take out your copies of "Jack's Ways of Coming Onto Women And Having Them End Up All Over You." and turn to page 3, paragraph A, section 32, you will see clearly stated in the bold print:

**"_Plan A_: Overwhelm your prey with oozing charm so they are flattered to death. Lie if you have to, just make sure whatever you say is mushy and full of compliments and fancy words that women like. If this fails, result to Plan B. _(Page 4, paragraph C, section 56.)"_**

And, in this case, Plan A did indeed fail.

All three of the ladies exchanged glances, then looked at him with annoyed looks, each of them having an eyebrow raised. "Look, dude," The blonde said, clearly irritated, "You need to back up, and watch yourself." Jack blinked some as the brunette continued, "We can tell you're desperate and in need of attention, but take it somewhere else." The red head added, "So, unless you want to get slapped, back up, Desperate-O." (Like desperado, get it? o.O; )

Jack furrowed his eyebrows in determination, thinking, _'All right then, onto Plan B!'_ He turned his back to them and pulled out his pocket-sized copy of "Jack's Ways of Coming Onto Women And Having Them End Up All Over You," which he carried with him always. He turned to Page 4, paragraph C, section 56 and read to himself: 

**"_Plan B_: If Plan A has failed, that is why you are reading this. So, the 'ol charm didn't work this time, eh? I guess you must either really suck at being charming, or you're dealing with what I like to call "The Tough Cookies," as in, the women who aren't taken easily. Those chicks who act like they aren't interested, but you know what? They really are, they just don't want to be dominated by men. They are in denial that women are submissive, and men are dominant in a relationship. We gotta teach 'em who's who! Well, buddy, I have just the plan for that! Now, read carefully. Since the charm didn't work, you gotta be forward. You got to take a step forward. Now, some women might find this rude, but those are the women who are picked up by Plan A. If you're here, you're probably dealing with the aggressive chicks. So you gotta be aggressive if you want to impress. Aggressiveness also shows domination. Take control! If you are a loser that doesn't know what I'm talking about here are some ideas: Pull them to you and give 'em a kiss that they've never experienced before! Grab/Slap their butts then wink! Anything in that area. Now, I'd stay clear of their chest area though, because women are very sensitive about that, and if you touch them there you'll most likely get the crap slapped out of you. Good Luck! If this fails, which I doubt, try Plan C. _(Page 6, Paragraph F, section 75)_"**

Jack heard a yawn behind him, and looked over his shoulder to the girls. They looked bored and were still waiting for him to finish reading. He closed the book and pocketed it, clearing his throat. _'C'mon Jack, you can do this!'_ He encouraged himself, looking from one girl to the other to try to decide who would be his first victim. He decided that it would seem unfair to kiss one of them and then slap the other's butt's, because then it would be like the one kissed was more special. He decided to give them all a nice whack.

Unfortunately for him, they were all sitting. But they were now turned towards the bar, sitting on the stool, leaving him a target. Not a target for a slap though...but maybe a nice pinch would do just as well...

As soon as he had done this though he felt something hard hit him in the face and found himself sprawled on the ground. He looked up, dazed, to see all three of the women standing in a circle around him. They all looked pissed. The blonde the most pissed of all. "I wish I had my shot gun." She growled, "But I left it in my briefcase in my Jaguar."

Jack blinked up at her, "Damn, what do you do?"

"I'm a lawyer," She said proudly.

"Man, you must be some rich bitch!" Jack laughed, but unfortunately for him, she was standing at his legs, and his little joke got himself a kick where the sun don't shine. He doubled up, laying on his side, holding himself in pain.

The other two, who were on either side of him, growled, kicking him from both sides as he lay on the ground. He whimpered, covering his head.

"Yeah, that's right! Still wanna pinch my ass, boy? I didn't think so!" The red head growled.

"What do you think now, Mr. Pervert, you still want a piece!?" The brunette said, kicking him hard in the butt. "Pinch my ass and I'll kick your's!"

(Sorry for all the language, but I found it fitting for the scene. Heh)

"Girls! Girls!" Someone yelled, running over to them and stepping over Jack to stop the beating. It was Goku, "Now I know he probably deserved it but I think he's learned his lesson!" He looked down at the pathetic rolled up form on the floor. "Haven't you, Jack?"

"Yes!" Came a high-pitch whimper. They guessed that that was from the kick to the nuts.

"I guess we did go a _little_ hard on him." The brunette admitted hesitantly.

"Psh, I don't." The blonde said firmly, crossing her arms.

Suddenly someone's cell phone rang. The red head fumbled around with her dress and pulled it out of seemingly no where. "Hello?" She asked into the phone. "Huh? They did WHAT!? Oh those girls!" She growled, "I'll be there in 5, HF!" She snapped her phone shut and looked at the other's who were blinking. Well, not including Jack, who was still on the floor in pain. "Sorry guys, but I gotta go. I'll catch you later!" And with that, the red head ran out the door of the bar.

The other two decided that they were going to go ahead and leave as well, and bid a not-so-friendly farewell to Jack, who had gotten up slowly and sat down again, wincing slightly from his bruises. Goku sighed and shook his head as he watched the girls leave. He was about to turn back around to his drink, but someone that entered through the doors made him freeze. Actually, it was two some ones.

He managed to spin around and elbow Vegeta hard in the side, causing the teen to spit out the beer he was drinking. He growled, looking at Goku with a glare, "What is it Kakarot!?"

Goku quickly hushed him then, without turning around he pointed with his thumb, and whispered quietly, "Don't...turn...around. Just look...carefully!" Raising a brow, Vegeta cautiously glanced over his shoulder as he took another drink of beer. Again, a spray of golden liquid shot from his mouth.

Goku hit him to tell him to shut up. He tried to stop coughing, and tensed. They were heading right their way. "What do we do!?" Goku asked in a quick, fearful whisper.

"We stay here and try not to be noticed! We can't make a move now or they'll see us for sure!" Vegeta whispered back, growling.

"But they'll recognize our hair for sure! It's not exactly hard to miss ya know!!" Goku argued, still whispering.

"Shut up!"

"I wish I would have never come!" Goku whimpered quietly. They both tried to lower their heads as if they were turtles and could stick them in their shells. Of course, this didn't work.

"Vegeta? GOKU!?" Both of them would recognize THAT voice from anywhere. They gulped. They were discovered. They both dreaded looking over their shoulders, but did anyways, to see an enraged Chi-Chi, accompanied by a fuming Bulma.

"What are you doing here!?" Bulma added, her voice just as angry.

Both turned around to face the outraged females, expecting their doom. But then they took in their outfits and blinked. They exchanged glances. Bulma was wearing an amazingly short black skirt, and a purple tube top. Chi-Chi was wearing a similar skirt, except it was leather. Her top was almost the same except it had spaghetti straps and was red. They both seemed to notice them looking them over and blushed slightly, looking at each other.

Vegeta crossed his arms, looking at Bulma with a raised eyebrow. "What are _you_ doing here?" He asked sternly.

"And dressed like _that!_" Goku added, staring at Chi-Chi's outfit.

Bulma and Chi-Chi both looked at each other, their faces of anger now replaced by shy, nervous expressions. "Er, well..." Chi-Chi started, looking at her feet, which had heeled sandals.

"We were just going out, like you did, and uh.."

"Then why are you mad to see us here when you did the exact same thing?" Vegeta asked, looking angry.

"Um..." Both girls looked down like scolded little children.

"And _we_ aren't dressed like that!!" Goku added, still staring at Chi-Chi's outfit. He was having trouble tearing his eyes away.

Vegeta looked at Goku through half closed eye lids, "Well of course we aren't dressed like that, you idiot, we aren't frickin' fruit cakes!"

Goku rubbed the back of his head, grinning, "Heh heh, well I didn't mean that exactly, I just meant--"

"I _know_ what you meant." Vegeta mumbled, shaking his head, "Spare me the explanation."

"Sorry." Bulma said, still looking at the ground.

"Me too." Chi-Chi added.

Vegeta and Goku looked at each other and Goku said, rubbing his head still, now looking down some, "We are too. I guess we both kind of did the same thing."

"Even?" Vegeta asked, looking at the girls.

They smiled and said at the same time, "Even."

Meanwhile..

Piccolo was talking fluently to bob, who was listening intently while he cleaned a glass with a cloth. Piccolo was very grateful to Bob, just for being there to listen to him. He hadn't realized how much everything had built up on him. It felt so good to get all his thoughts on what had been going on. And to practically a stranger! He guessed bartenders just had that kind of power over you to make you tell what was wrong in your life.

"And now I don't know what I'm going to do," Piccolo continued, having just told him about the note and what it had basically said, then growled in anger, clenching his fists, "All I know is if I _ever_ get my hands on whoever did this to her, I'll-"

"Calm yo'self, brotha, calm yo'self," Bob said with a comforting grin.

"I'll tell ya what. I can tell you're feelin' a lot better then when you came in 'ere. You just come on back ova whenever somethin' else happens, and tell me. I'll be here for ya, willin' to listen."

Piccolo gave a weak smile, "Thanks. That means a lot to me."

"Any time, any time," Bob chided.

A while later, Jack declared it was time to go. This hadn't been one of his best nights at the bar, that was for sure. He hoped he never had to meet those three girls _ever_ again. On his way out he tossed his pocket-sized copy of "Jack's Ways of Coming Onto Women And Having Them End Up All Over You" in the trash can, mumbling. As they hit the door, the black guard asked if they had paid for their drinks. They looked at each other. Pay?

"I think we're going to stay a little longer," Bulma said. Chi-Chi and her hadn't gotten to get any drinks. That made Goku and Vegeta think.

"Hey, you guys aren't 21 either," Goku whispered to them, so the guard wouldn't hear, "How did you get in, fake ID's too?"

"Of course not!" Chi-Chi laughed.

"Then...how?" Vegeta blinked, confused.

"You forget who my father is." Bulma smirked, "He practically OWN'S this bar!"

That made Vegeta and Goku both blink. Mr. Briefs? A bar owner?? Goku pictured Mr. Briefs decked out in a pimp get up, a bright purple suit on with a matching hat with a leopard-spotted band with a pink fluffy feather sticking out of it. In Goku's vision he had a feathered pink boa that matched the brightness of the feather. He also had many golden rings with huge rubies and emeralds on them, as well as a big golden medallion hung around his neck that had a big B engraved in it. His suit was completed with a gold cane that had many jewels crusted in it, jewels like the one's his finger's flaunted.

Goku shuddered and shook his head. THAT was a disturbing vision.

He realized Bulma was talking, "Yep, one mention of the briefs family name and he stepped aside, bowing. I'm surprised he didn't grovel at my feet!" She said with a smart ass laugh. Vegeta rolled his eyes. This was the only time he didn't like Bulma. When she acted like a stuck up rich chick. Which he figured she was....but still. She had her good sides, which made him attracted to her. Like her butt! She had a _fine_ ass in his opinion. (LOL, I'm jk ^_^; Ignore the last few comments, I just couldn't resist.)

Anyways, the guard was threatening to make them was dishes if they didn't pay, but suddenly, the manager from the diner they had gone to and Piccolo had stripped at walked up. "Don't worry, Leroy," She said with a smirk, "Their bill is on the house." She looked to Piccolo, winking. He blinked some, but before he could respond other wise he was pushed out the door by the others, who were quickly leaving, relieved they didn't have to pay. Jack, however, lagged behind.

"Thanks." He smirked at the manger.

"Hey, no problem. I'm true to my word, aren't I? Except next time, I want a show."

"Heh, you got it." Jack said, walking out the door to join the others on the walk to the frat.

~*~

Okay, that's it folks. Whew, I put a lot of hours into this chapter! I should be getting paid!! I mean, all this work! x_X Might as well be at school typing an essay! ...*Shudders at the thought.* Never mind. This is funner, which is not a word. HA HA, eat it language teachers who probably wouldn't allow me to write a story like this at school! o_O Ok, anyways, please review. And sorry for all my comments throughout the chapter. I'll try to cut down next time. Oh, and can you guess who the three mystery chicks are? If you do you get a prize! Well, not really. Lol. Anyways, REVIEW!! o_o 


	7. Silly Chapter, for the most part

**Disclaimer:** Dragonball Z and all Dragonball Z characters are copyrighted and registered as Akira Toriyama (I think I did it right..don't sue me if I didn't), _not_ me. With that straight, let us move on.

Sorry for the long wait. Sarah (Dbz Dealer) helped me a LOT in this chapter, so thanks to her. And check out her fics, DARN YOU! o_O Now read...then review...then look at her fics and review on them. GOT IT!? Good.

~*~

It was Thursday, and Piccolo was walking slowly to the frat from his last class. Thank God that was over. Class was stressful, difficult, and he really wasn't in the mood to be there. So, of course, he was not up to it. Who is? Piccolo however, had even more stress now, with the whole...kidnapper thing.

He was walking along the calm, peaceful block, that his frat was upon. On the sidewalk, he glanced at the street to his left, where a black, long Lincoln passed. He couldn't see into the dark, tinted windows, but didn't really care. He looked to his right, where trees lined the edge of the sidewalk, creating a nice, shady area. The grass in the yards of the homes he was passing was as green as his skin, lush and full. It was beautiful. But he didn't care. He looked at the side walk as he walked. 

Suddenly, Piccolo's sensitive ears perked up as he heard a familiar, annoying-as-crap, song that began softly from some unknown place. It got louder and louder, until finally it was BLARING in his ear and he couldn't stand it any longer! He held his ears, twisting his body in anguish. Piccolo growled, looking around with glaring eyes. He couldn't see anyone! Only heard it, that DAMN music! It...must...DIE!! He shot a stray ki blast in the direction of the music, which happened to be the ever familiar Twilight Zone Music. 

A small yelp was his reward and the music stopped abruptly. Catching his breath from his rage, he looked to the source of the cry. Sitting there in a tree, a now destroyed portable battery-operated boom box melting in his hands, was none other then our beloved village idiot, Goku! Er...Frat idiot. The frat idiot...not village idiot. ^_^;

Piccolo set a hard glare on the spiky haired prankster. Goku wasn't paying attention to him, however, for that that moment the hot plastic that was the result of the blast was seeping over his hands. "HOT HOT HOT!!!" He cried, waving his hands in a frantic effort to remove the liquid.

Piccolo sighed slightly, sweat dropping. The poor fool. He glances around, seeing a near by fire hydrant. He took a step or two until he was in range, then kicked the top clear off. Water shot out straight up, in a furious blast of...of...FURY!! (o.O; ^.^; Anyways...) 

Walking to the other side, hands in pockets, he lifted his foot onto the side of the hydrant and pressed firmly forward with it, bending the hydrant so the top was now aimed directly at Goku, who sat still in the tree. Soon, Goku was drenched, as well as shot out of the tree by the force of the water. Piccolo couldn't help but smirk. This actually brightened his day.

Goku had been blasted into the pillar of the porch of the house they were in front of. He slid down it, for it was a large pillar, a faint squeaking sound audible. Piccolo walked to the drowned rat of a saiyan, snickering slightly. The water was still hitting the pillar, and Goku was under practically a waterfall. He sputtered and coughed, trying to breathe. Piccolo grabbed the front of his wet shirt, pulling him out of the pour of water. Goku coughed again, wiping his face with his hands, some of his black hair plastered to his forehead.

"Have a nice swim?" Piccolo smirked.

Goku whimpered, "You didn't have to do THAT! It was only a joke!"

Piccolo rolled his eyes and Goku pouted, "You're the one who had to bug the hell out of me in the first place. You didn't have to turn the thing up to it's max! You KNOW how sensitive my ears are!" 

"But it wasn't my fault!" Goku said whiningly. "A-and you blasted th-the player and it got all hot and melted, an-an then the wa-wa-water!!" He burst out into tears, making Piccolo blink slightly.

He let go of his shirt, letting the poor tormented child fall on his rear end in a sitting position, "Suck it up. You asked for the blast, and I was only helping the burn with the water."

"HELPING!?" Goku jumped to his feet, "Vegeta dared me to do it in the first pla-"

"He did WHAT!?" Piccolo growled, grabbing the front of his shirt again, pulling his face close to his own, baring his fangs. 

Goku covered his face with his hands, "Don't hurt me!"

Piccolo sweat dropped, closing his eyes, "Just tell me where Vegeta is, unless you want to be hurt."

Goku peeked through the fingers of one hand, "Well..." He slowly let his hands drop, "He said that he was gonna be recording the whole thing from a near by location."

"Oh really?" Piccolo dropped Goku...again.

"You don't gotta drop me all the time!" Goku whined, getting up. Piccolo ignored him, glancing about.

He saw the leaves of a bush move, and heard running footsteps heading the opposite direction. Piccolo smirked, running to the bush and jumping over it. He then began walking forward, "Vegeta, you poor, stupid fool..."

~*~

"God damn that Kakarot!" Vegeta huffed as he picked up his pace. After running about a block he stopped abruptly, his shoes making a squeaking sound against the ground. "What the hell am I doing? I can fly!"

As if on cue, a little boy jumped out of a trash can, hands on his hips and chest thrust out. He was wearing a green outfit that resembled a tunic, with a matching hat with a red feather sticking out of it. "He can fly!"

Vegeta looked at the kid. "...Go home, kid." The kid pouted and walked somberly away, head bowed. Vegeta shook his head, "Kids these days." He blinked as he heard a familiar voice shout, "Oh, Vegeta!"

It was a snarl really, and as Vegeta looked over his shoulder he saw the source: A tall, pissed green man, who happened to be running directly at him. Fast. Vegeta's eyes widened, "Crap." He started to take off into the air, but the attempt was futile.

As Vegeta was in mid air, Piccolo tackled him out of the air, his shoulder hitting his gut roughly. He emitted a grunt, and a second one as he landed skiddingly on his back in some houses driveway. Piccolo sat atop of him, bringing his fist back far, ready to punch the crap out of him. Vegeta cringed in anticipation, closing his eyes tightly.

He felt a rough slap across his face, causing his head to turn from the impact. "Don't cry now, you look like you're about to start, bitch." Vegeta growled looking up at the grinning namekian. 

"What? Thought I was really going to punch ya?" Piccolo smirked ruffling Vegeta's hair roughly, then slapping him again. "I'd never beat up a little bitch like you. It's not nice." He snickered. Vegeta shoved him off, growling louder.

"I'm not a bitch!" Vegeta almost pouted as he sat up.

Piccolo laughed, "Then stop pouting like one."

Vegeta stood up and was about to kick Piccolo, but his foot was grabbed in the process and he was pulled roughly down, landing hard on his butt. Piccolo stood up. "Aww...did the little bitch fall down on his little ass?"

Vegeta was furious, "STOP CALLING ME THAT!!!"

"You're acting like one," Piccolo smirked.

"Are not!"

"Are too."

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"ARE NOT!"

"ARE TOO!"

"ARE NOT!!!"

"ARE TOO!!!"

_"ARE NOT!!!"_

**"ARE TOO!!!"**

Both of them yelled in each other's faces, now both standing, (of course, Piccolo was kind of looking down, since Vegeta is vertically challenged) **_"ARE NOT/TOO!!!"_**

Vegeta and Piccolo's chests were now heaving from all the yelling they were doing, but neither of them looked away from each other's gaze. Piccolo suddenly turned his back to him, arms crossed, lifting his chin, "Once a bitch, always a bitch."

Vegeta growled and was about to start attempting to strangle Piccolo, but then Goku arrived. "Hey guys!" Vegeta cringed at the sound of his voice, his hands now reaching out towards Piccolo's neck, his fingers trembling and ready to grip the green neck fiercely. Goku blinked some, "What's wrong, Vegeta?"

Vegeta dropped his arms, heaving an irritated sigh, then mumbled, "Nothing, Kakarot...Nothing." 

"Yeah that's what I thought," Piccolo stuck his tongue out at him.

Vegeta growled, ready to tackle him, but Goku walked between them, "Heh heh," He laughed nervously, "Come on guys, let's just forget about this whole thing and head back to the frat. Okay?"

"Sure." Piccolo smirked. This whole thing had actually cheered him up. He and Goku turned in the direction of the frat, but he blinked slightly, glancing back to Vegeta who failed to follow. Vegeta was stepping inconspicuously toward the left, or trying to. But Piccolo saw it. The green one growled.

"Vegeta you sneaky little bitch!" Piccolo dove at the video camera lying on the ground, which had been dropped when Piccolo had first tackled Vegeta. Unfortunately, Vegeta dived for it as well, and their heads collided together and they fell, both landing one their stomaches, their hands reaching but just short of the video camera. The recording light was still on. Vegeta and Piccolo didn't notice, though. Their eyes were at the moment in anime-style swirls.

Goku walked up and bent forward, picking the camera up, "Hey, isn't this what you recorded everything with, Vegeta?" Goku blinked, looking at the front of the camera, "It's still on."

"WHAT!?" Vegeta and Piccolo jumped up. Had it gotten the whole thing on tape?? Piccolo smirked some, but Vegeta's look remained distressed. Piccolo started to laugh, "Well, that's great. Because it's more embarrassing to you then it is me. Heh."

As he said this he was smirking at Vegeta. He snatched the camera from Goku, pointing the lens at Vegeta, "Smile, bitch."

Vegeta's right eye twitched, "If you DARE call me that one more time..." He grabbed for the camera, growling, but Piccolo easily held it out of his reach. Vegeta floated up slightly, snatching it away and turning it off. He looked up to Piccolo, holding the camera triumphantly, "HA! I got the ta-"

He blinked. Piccolo was yawning, spinning the small black tape on his finger. Vegeta quickly reached for it, but Piccolo tossed it up and caught it again, pocketing it, all in a quick movement before Vegeta could even attempt close his fingers around the tape. Vegeta lowered his arm and glared, "You don't dare show that tape to a soul, or else I'll-"

"Save it," Piccolo said, turning back around to face the direction of the frat with Goku, "I'll just use it for blackmail sometime if I need something from you." He snickered to himself.

Vegeta could only grumble as he followed, resisting the urge to strangle the green man. _'How ironic,'_ he thought furiously, _'The result ended up to be the opposite of what I intended!'_

~*~

The three arrived at their "home" minutes later, the tape still safely tucked away in Piccolo's front pocket. They opened the door with their key, or, Vegeta's key (Each had one) and walked inside.

As they neared the living room of the frat, Piccolo sniffed the air, blinking. "Do you guys smell smoke?"

The other two blinked as well as they smelled the air. Goku scratched his chin, "Yeah...But it smells kind of weird."

"Uh-oh." Vegeta said, "What if they caught something on fire?"

The three all exchanged glances. In a split second they were all in the living room. A cloud of smoke hovered beneath the ceiling, and the room itself seeming to be filled with a fog of some sort. They coughed, waving hands in front of their faces. It was smoke, not fog. In the distance, they could see blurry figures, and small, bright little lights.

As they moved closer, still coughing and squinting against the smoke, they saw that it was some of their frat members, and the little lights were the tips of what looked like cigarettes. But they weren't.

"W-what are you guys doing?" Goku asked them, blinking.

"Takin' hits." One of them replied. He had a hat on. The others burst out laughing for no apparent reason as so did the guy who replied.

"What's so funny?" Goku asked, confused.

"Yo mama!" Another burst. They all laughed again.

"Huh?" Goku was baffled.

"Are those...blunts!?" Piccolo asked, blinking.

"No." They all looked at each other, then couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out in hysterical laughter.

"They're smoking weed!" Vegeta declared, pointing accusingly.

"Drugs!?" One of them asked, "NEVER!" They all laughed again, except of course Goku, Vegeta, and Piccolo.

The front door was heard opening, and a moment later Leroy joined them. "What the hell's going on!?" The angry black apprentice-of-Jack growled furiously.

"They're getting high!" Piccolo said, pointing at them, looking like he was saying "It wasn't me!"

"Gettin' high!?" Leroy bellowed, "GETTIN' HIGH!?"

All of them exchanged glances.

"You foo's KNOW that we don't allow drugs in this joint!!" Leroy continued angrily.

After a few moments of silence, one of them held up a blunt, "Want some?"

"Damn right!" Leroy snatched the blunt from him, sitting down. "Ya crazy bitches tryin' to leave me out..." He mumbled, inhaling it then letting out a puff of smoke.

The three still standing blinked some. They turned their heads as they heard the door open again. It shut, then soon Jack was right in there with them. "What the HELL is going on!?"

"Yo, Jack, cool down, foo." Leroy said, holding out a joint to him.

"But, I thought-" Goku started.

"Shut up," Jack said, taking the blunt and sitting with the others.

"What, we don't get any?" Piccolo asked, but was being sarcastic.

As soon as he got the question out, ten hands all offered him a blunt at once. He blinked in surprise, stepping back. Leroy grinned, "Ya'll know we'd never leave a frat brotha' out."

A few of the hands shifted to Goku and Vegeta. "C'mon, take it." They asked.

"My mom warned me about this." Vegeta gulped.

Piccolo looked at Vegeta through half closed eyelids in irritation, then grabbed one of the blunts, "Fine. I don't want to be a little bitch like Vegeta."

As everyone besides the three burst out into loud laughter, Vegeta protested, "I'M NOT A BITCH!!" He grabbed one of the joints.

"Kakarot is," Vegeta stated, pointing at Goku, the only blunt-less person in the entire room.

"I'm not a bitch." Goku pouted, taking a joint as well.

The three exchanged glances, lifting the blunts to their mouths. They had never dine this before. Goku was about to take a hit with the other two, but chickened out and just watched Piccolo and Vegeta do it. The two started hacking and coughing immediately, making everyone else howl with laughter.

After a few hits though, the two started getting used to it. Kind of. They felt suddenly happy.

"C'mon, Goku," Piccolo nudged Goku with his elbow, grinning, "Take a hit."

"Yeah," Vegeta urged, "Join us, Goku."

"Join us." The other's repeated. They sounded like a bunch of zombies.

Goku's breath quickened and his eyes darted to all the faces in the room, all of which wore freaky high smiles, as they chanted "Join us" again and again and AGAIN. Goku fell to his knees, throwing his hands in the air, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!"

They all stopped chanting and watched Goku do this for a few minutes. After he stopped and was panting for air, they all began to snicker, then began laughing like the stoners they were.

He watched them, pouting like a kid, "Don't laugh at me!!"

They all stopped laughing suddenly and offered him a blunt. Goku blinked at all the joints in his face. "I-I-I-I.."

"You will take a hit." They all said in unison. Goku gulped, taking one. All hands withdrew.

He lifted the joint slowly to his lips, looking at it, then to them, the to it again. He trembled, looking down at the large, weed filled item between his fingers. His chest filled with air as he took a deep breath, closed his eyes tightly, and lifted it all the way to his lips, and put the end in his mouth.

...The lit end.

Goku yelped as the heat sprung to life inside his mouth, and dropped the blunt, sticking his burnt tongue out and waving at it with both hands, vainly trying to cool it down. The other's rolled on the floor with laughter.

~*~

After a while, everyone was really stoned. Goku had learned how to smoke the thing properly, and now joined the other's in their happy world that was only real to them. "Them" as in everyone that was stoned. It was their Happy High World.

"Whoaa..." Goku stared up at the ceiling, then pointed up to it, "You see that?!"

Everyone else's heads lifted up to look at what he was pointing at. "What!?"

Goku just kept pointing, and looking for a few moments, as did everyone else. He lowered his arm after a few minutes and looked at them, "What were we doing?"

After about a minute of silence, someone asked, "Where am I?"

"In Cleveland?" Another said.

"Oh."

"WE AREN'T IN CLEAVAGE!" someone shouted. Everyone exchanged glances, then burst out laughing.

This lasted for a few minutes, then, "WHOA!!! The couch just BIT ME!!!"

"NO WAY!!" Another person replied.

"LET'S KILL IT!" Someone declared.

"YEAH!!"

A ki blast was shot from Vegeta's hand, and the lamp was destroyed.

Everyone stared at where the lamp used to be for a few minutes, then someone said, "DUDE! You just killed the squirrel!!"

"HOW COULD YOU!?"

"YOU ASS!!"

"DUCK HATER!!!"

Everyone looked at the guy who shouted last. Everyone burst out into laughter once again.

Suddenly, the phone rang and everyone stopped.

"I'M HEARING BELLS!!" Someone yelled frantically.

"ME TOO!"

"ME SIX!!"

In panic, everyone ran around in circles, most of them tripping over stuff. Someone ran into the table with the phone on it, knocking it off. The receiver fell off it's hook, landing on the floor.

"Hello?" It said. Everyone gasped.

"IT CAN TALK!"

"NO WAY!!"

Goku got on his knees on the floor next to the phone and leaned forward, poking it. "Hello??" The voice said again.

"Oooo..." They all said in awe.

"GOD DAMN IT!" The voice from the receiver yelled, "IS PICCOLO THERE!?"

Everyone looked around. Even Piccolo. They all started calling randomly, "Piccolo? PICCOLO!?!"

"Wait!" Piccolo shouted, "_I'm_ Piccolo!"

"Oohhh..." Everyone said as he picked up the phone. "What do you want from me!?"

"Finally," the voice said with a growl.

"Fish!? I don't have any fish!" Everyone laughed.

"Fish?" The voice asked, confused, "What the hell are you talking about."

Piccolo just sat there for a few moments, then replied finally, "Hi, I'm Fred."

Everyone laughed except for the guy on the phone. "Screw this, you are so high." The guy said, and a click sounded in Piccolo's ear.

"IT...IT DIED!!" Piccolo gasped.

Everyone looked at the phone mournfully. They all took a puff from their joints and shook their heads. Some said a word in memory of their dear..."friend." They tried to stick a blunt in it's "mouth," but after ten minutes of failed attempts they finally gave up.

"Guess this brotha can't have one last smoke." Said Leroy with a sad shake of his head.

They all bowed their heads in a moment of respectful silence, their hats off, eyes closed... joints still in their mouths, smoke slowly swirling upward, curling, swirling...

"So..." Said someone after a few more moments of silence, "What were we doing again?"

Everyone exchanged glances with the person next to them, then the person on their other side, and suddenly all burst out into laughter.

~*~

The phone rang in the sorority's empty living room. It kept ringing. Finally one of the girls popped their heads out of the kitchen, then, mumbling, walked over to the phone, picking it up.

"Hello?"

Silence.

"Hello??"

The girls listened carefully, and could hear breathing on the other end of the line. "Who is this?"

"Uhhh..."

The girl growled, "What do you want? I'm busy!"

She heard a few snickers, then, "Doing what?"

"None of your business! What do you want!?"

"Um...is your refrigerator running?"

"My what?"

"Your toilet."

"...Is my toilet running?" She girl's eyes were reduced to slits, sweat dropping.

"Uh, I dunno...is it?"

Her eye twitched, "Ass hole." She hung up.

~*~

Inside the frat, all the guys laughed hysterically as Goku hung up the phone. "You did it all wrong!" Vegeta growled, taking a huge hit from his blunt then puffing the smoke into Goku's face, making him cough, "It wasn't toilet, it was toaster!"

"Toaster?" Goku blinked, looking puzzled.

"No it isn't! It's oven!" Someone else hollered.

"No, it's microwave!!" Another argued.

"YOU'RE ALL LIARS!" Someone else yelled, chest heaving, a mad look in their eyes, "IT'S BLOW TORCH!!"

There was silence, except for his heavy breathing.

"Fire?" Someone asked suddenly, head shooting around in different directions, "WHERE!?"

"THERE!" Someone pointed to the end of another's blunt.

"FIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!" Someone yelled, their voice high-pitched and dragging out the "R" sound.

Everyone blinked, shook their heads, and took a puff of their blunts. The guy who had yelled out bowed his head, as the guy next to him patted his back comfortingly, then offered him his blunt. It was out of his hand in a second.

~*~ Later...MUCH later...

They all had finally stopped getting high, and gotten sober. They all agreed to tell no one about their little "Hot house" last night, and got to work on trying to get the smell of marijuana out of...well...everything.

"Hey, sniff my shirt and see if you can smell it on me," Goku said, holding the tail of his shirt up to Vegeta. Vegeta grabbed it and sniffed his shirt. He coughed some, "Damn, sure can."

"Guess I better wash it then," Goku stated, starting to pull it off.

"Wait," someone said in a raspy voice. They slinked out of the shadows and were suddenly right next to him, "I....uh...run a dry cleaning business." The person said. Their attire consisted of a black cape and hood, their entire face and body concealed within it.

"Really?" Goku asked in pure innocence, his eyes wide and shiny.

"Yeah..." Grayish, greenish, blue eyes shifted from side to side quickly in the shadows of the hood, "Really."

Goku handed the person the shirt, grinning. "Alright! When will I get it back?"

"Uh..." The person clutched the shirt tightly, as if afraid someone might try to steal if from them, "Soon? Uh, yeah, soon..."

The eyes started shifting again. Goku either didn't notice, or noticed and was too stupid to take it into suspicion.

"Okay! See you soon then!"

"Yeah..." Yet again, the eyes got all shifty, "Soon, yeah..." They disappeared into the shadows.

~*~

"Did you get some!?" Someone asked as a hooded figure ran toward them.

"Yeah, it was easy." They held out Goku's shirt to the person who called them.

They gripped it in their strong, milk chocolate-colored hand, and lifted it to their nose, taking a deep sniff. They coughed, "T-that is some strong shit their smoking."

A white skinned hand extended from the cape, "You got the shirt, you give me the stuff."

"Are you sure you got it from the green one?"

The person blinked a few times. _'Green? Oops...'_ But they were desperate, so they lied, "Yeah...Positive." Their eyes did their trade mark shifty...thing.

"Good." The black hand reached into a nice, expensive looking suit pocket. It retrieved a small, tied, pouch. The greenish, grayish, blue eyes widened as they watched, hand still held out hungrily.

He dropped it into the white hand, and no sooner had it made contact when the hand was suddenly gone again, now taking refuge beneath it's cape, clutching the bag tightly. They couldn't wait to get back to the firm and smoke this.

~*~

"Kakarot, get a damn shirt on," Vegeta commanded with a grunt, floating horizontally parallel to the ceiling, attempting to scrub the smoke residue away with a brush, his free hand holding a bucket full of soapy water. He wasn't really succeeding. He was, however, successful in getting soapy water all over him.

Goku was scrubbing the wall, "Aww...but I like the breeze!" He was in fact, still shirt less.

Piccolo rolled his eyes as he again for about the tenth time tried getting the smell of weed out of the carpet by vacuuming. Everyone was working to get rid of the signs of their little party last night.

"Screw it!" Someone finally yelled, throwing down the little hand-held vacuum they had, "It isn't getting the smell out at all!"

He suddenly whipped out a bottle of FaWheeze. (HA! Not FaBreeze! Which I do not own!) He sprayed the couch, which he had been vacuuming. He then stuck his nose up to the fabric of the couch, inhaling. "Ahhh.." He sighed in relief, then looked at the invisible camera, holding the bottle up in one hand, and making a thumbs-up sign with the other. "Wheezy fresh." He grinned, his teeth sparkling as he gave a big wink.

"Shut the hell up!" Someone yelled, and the guy fell over as an empty bucket collided with his head. He laid on the floor, limbs spread, his eyes in anime swirls.

"Ugh..." Piccolo sighed, prying the bottle of FaWheeze from the unconscious guys grip, and spraying the carpet with it. He sweat dropped, looking at all the carpet in the room left. "This is going to be a long night..."

~*~

Finally they got the smell out of the house. Now, all they had to worry about was neighbors reporting large quantities of smoke floating out of the windows. Maybe they noticed. Maybe they weren't as in the clear as they thought. MAYBE...Nah...No one saw anything. Did they?

Anyways, it was in the early hours when they finished. They all slumped into their beds tiredly, closing their eyes, and easily falling into a quiet, weed-dream filled sleep.

They awoke a few hours later, realizing they had missed some of their classes. They decided to go ahead and go, even though they didn't want to. Packing their things, grumbling, they got ready for the last school day of the week. Soon...it would be over. Then another weekend.

Bags slung over their shoulders, the part of three, Piccolo, Goku, and Vegeta, trudged off to the campus, rubbing their eyes sleepily. They separated in the hallway, and soon were entering their classes. 

Vegeta sat down in his seat, next to Bulma. He had this class with her.

"Where were you?" Bulma asked, brows knitted in anger, "I called this morning and no one answered, and I didn't see you before the first bell rang, either!"

"Uh...I was sleeping." Vegeta grinned slightly, as much as it was possibly for him, looking a little nervous. _'Please don't ask why I was sleeping in so late...'_ He begged with her in his thoughts.

"Why were you sleeping in so late?" Bulma seemed to read his mind, doing the exact opposite of what he wished.

"Stayed up kind of late." He replied, trying to look casual. _'Don't ask doing what, don't ask doing what...'_ He thought again and again, watching her.

"Doing what??" She crossed her arms firmly.

He almost fell over anime style, then growled and yelled, "I TOLD YOU NOT TO ASK THAT!!"

She blinked, "No you didn't." She raised a brow, watching him as he realized he had said that aloud.

"Uh..." Vegeta fumbled for words. He couldn't tell her he had gotten high...what could he say?

"Well, what were you doing up late last night?"

"Nothing." Vegeta answered.

"Nothing my ass." Bulma replied, speaking in a strangely calm voice.

"Um...well...you see..." He stalled, not meeting her eyes.

"No, I don't see." Bulma replied.

_'Damn it woman, let me talk!'_ Vegeta growled the thought, then answered calmly, "I'm trying to make you see."

"Well hurry up."

_'You're in bitchy mood today, aren't you?'_ He thought, mumbling to himself.

"You're in an impatient mood today, aren't you?" He asked aloud.

"Very impatient." She said, still in that freakishly calm voice, her expression still angry. "Now tell."

Vegeta sighed deeply. He couldn't stall forever. He'd have to tell her. "Well...you see...last night..."

The bell rang.

Vegeta quickly turned to the front of the classroom as the teacher entered the classroom. "Saved by the bell." He smirked to himself as Bulma turned too, reluctantly.

~*~

The last bell of the day rang, freeing the college students to the weekend. Ah, glorious weekend. The school vacation of every week, which gave every student the hope to carry on through school, just to get to that wondrous break. It was as if each weekend brought them closer and closer to summer. However, that wasn't happening as fast as some wished.

Their was a football meeting after school. As posted on the walls all around the campus, the flyer stated clearly:

**All Interested In Playing Football**

Report Friday in the gym, immediately following the last bell. All who are late will not be able to participate. Puntuality is expected if you are to be on the team. All students on football scholarships must attend. Thank you and have a good day,

Couch Titebutte

Piccolo was extremely hesitant and reluctant, but with enough bugging and bothering from his two saiyan comrades all morning and early afternoon, he finally allowed himself to be bullied into going. He sighed as they walked toward the gym. Football gave him bad memories.

Once in the gym, they sat on the bleachers, along with many other's who had obviously decided to come. After a few short minutes, the doors to the gym suddenly closed, making all heads turn. There, a quite muscular man stood. He removed his hands from the door, putting them behind his back, as he turned to face all the other faces looking at him, exposing his stern expression. A hard smirk sat upon his lips, a crooked nose that looked like it had been broken a few times in his life sitting right above it, the sides of his upper nose curving into hollows above his heavily hooded eyes, and below his bushy brows. His slightly wrinkled forehead was almost smooth, as his brows were not raising toward his short, army-like style hair cut, which had a few streaks of gray in the brown strands. It was so short it was hard to tell anyways.

Everyone watched him walk to the front of the bleachers, looking up at them. His smirk widened. A few of the boys smiled timidly back, trying to lighten the air somehow. But as soon as they did, his mouth dropped from the smirk into a straight line, his brows dropping with it into a scowl. The other boys wiped the smiles off their faces.

"So...you think you can play on my team?" He asked, his voice smooth as fine leather.

Some nodded in reply, but quickly stopped as the man suddenly burst into laughter, harsh, sarcastic laughs that were loud and tough as leather themselves, but it stopped just as quickly as he said sternly, his voice still loud, "You know _nothing!!_"

They watched in silence as he paced slightly from one end of the bleachers to the other, hands still behind his back, "To be on my team, you have to wrok, which I'm sure few of you have ever done in your lives. You're all a bunch of worthless filth not fit to wipe my feet on." His voice rose steadily, untill he was finally shouting, "You think you're tough!? Well, you're wrong! You don't _know_ the meaning of tough." He spat direspectfully toward the bleachers.

"Um..." a boy timidly interrupted, raising his hand, "Mr. Tight butt-"

"IT'S TITEBUTTE!" The man screamed angrily, making the guy shrink in his seat, "PRONOUNCED TIGHTA-BYOOT! NOT TIGHT BUTT!!!"

A few snickered, but quickly stopped as the man's rock-hard glare landed on them. "And it's COACH Titebutte to you, if you are even lucky enough to make it past try outs." He spat again. "They start Monday, right after school. If you are late, you can forget even attempting to make the team, which you all have a slim chance of anyways. Sign the paper and get out of my gym." He pointed to a list on the end of the bottom bleacher, then disappeared into the locker room. 

After the three unaturally strong young men signed, they left the gym. "I don't care what he says," Vegeta smirked as they walked, "He's still a tight ass."

The three laughed.

~*~

Once in the living room of the frat, the three sat down heavily, dropping their bags carelessly on the floor. Though the bags were weighed down with their homework, it would be something they attended to at a later date. ( Homework is the devil. *Nods to this.* )

Piccolo sighed slightly, "I'm not looking forward to Monday."

Vegeta nodded, "Who is? That guy is a real bastard."

Goku frowned slightly, "Hey, he's not THAT bad..."

Vegeta and Piccolo looked at him, "..."

Goku rubbed the back of his head, chuckling nervously, "Okay, so he is pretty bad..."

"I have a feeling he is going to be a lot tougher then our last coach." Vegeta said, mumbling. 

"I KNOW he is." Piccolo said. "But, we'll be able to handle it..."

The two nodded on agreement.

The phone rang.

Three hands darted for it, but Piccolo's was fastest. Sticking a purple tongue out at his pouting competitors, he lifted the phone to his large, pointy ear. "Hello?"

"Hello Piccolo." A deep voice said on the other end of the line.

Piccolo felt his entire body tense, "You." Somehow, even though he had never heard his voice...he knew...

"Me." The voice had a grin to it as it confirmed Piccolo's statement. "Feeling more like yourself? Yesterday you seemed to be quite...odd."

"That's probably because I was as stoned as hell," Piccolo growled. "Don't make small chat with me, I have questions."

"Do you?" The voice asked, the same girn in it's tone of voice. They clicked their tongue, "You don't ask us questions. We give you facts."

"Is she hurt?" Piccolo ignored his comment.

"That's for me to know and you to find out." 

Piccolo bared his teeth, trying to keep himself from exploding at them, "Tell me, or so help me I'll-"

"You'll what? If she is okay, and this is an _if_, you wouldn't want me to have to hurt her by doing something rash, now would you, Mr. Damioh?"

"How did you know...my last name?" Piccolo blinked, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice. Few people knew his real last name.

"I have my ways, Mr. Damioh."

"But-" Piccolo was cut off.

"Who is making small chat now?" The voice asked reapprochfully, amusement in it's voice. It then became suddenly stern, "Look, if you want to see the bitch alive, you better not do everything we tell you to. And that is, first off, keep the cops out of it. They can't handle us anyways, and it would be like sending lambs to slaughter." Piccolo growled, fangs clenched as the voice continued, "You don't want to become the reasons of pointless deaths, now do you, Mr. Damioh?"

Piccolo was silent.

"Good...Then do exactly as I say. And don't write this down either. I'm sure you have a good memroy, don't you?"

Piccolo just growled, fist clenched, the other hand nearly crushing the reciever in his hand.

"Oh, and another thing," The voice added, amusement becoming clear in his voice once more, "Don't tell your little buddies about this either. If you do and we find out, you can say good-bye to your girlfriend." Piccolo's eyes swept over his two friends, who watched, eyes wide.

He gave a quick question to them both, telepathically, "You guys can hear every word, can't you?"

Both nodded. Piccolo knew that saiyan ears were also very keen on picking up sounds that human ears are incapible of, but not as much as Namekian ears were.

Piccolo almost smirked, "Okay. I wont."

"Good..." The voice chuckled slightly, "Very good..."

~*~

Sorry for the huge wait guys. This chapter was for Sarah (The Dbz Dealer.) Any guesses who the caped person was? Eheheh. I bet some do. Or many only one...*Shurgs.* Anyways, hope you guys liked it. Please review. sorry again for the long wait...I'll try harder to make the next get up again faster. Oh, and hope it's not too bad of a cliffhanger for ya. Hehe ^_^

You don't have to if you don't want to, but...

**_Review!_**


	8. Feelings, Voices, and Football

Disclaimer: I don't own nothing. Har har har. >_> 

Sorry for another wait. @_@ I've been loaded up with school (Evil) and volleyball (which is just about as evil, though it can be fun) Anyways, I've gotten requests to add a little more romance, ^.~ so you'll find some in this chapter. I say the boys do need a little cheering up, eh? ^.^ Heh. Well, enjoy. ^__^

_AN: There will be a lot of skipping around in this chapter, from event to event, just because I'm not very...well, knowledgable in those areas. Like college classes. I have no idea what goes on in them. And football. My sports do not include that one, so...I'm skipping the parts where they actually, you know, play. Hehe. ^.^; Anyways, just left like saying that! Enjoy the chapter._

~*~

Piccolo, Vegeta, Krillin, and Goku sat in their room, talking into the late hours of the night. It had been a long time ago when a curtain of intense blue swept across the horizon, bringing out the city lights to twinkle in the darkness, like fireflies in the sky. Piccolo never would have thought, when he was a few years younger, that is, he would be going through something like this.

Something so emotional. Something so...deep. He would have never imagined it happening to _him_ in a million years. Heck. Then, he never had thought he would even have a girlfriend. He felt overwhelmed. He never knew someone could...feel so much at one time. It was like he was going to explode. The sense of confusion, of worry, of fear...it all felt so new to him, even though it had been going on for almost a year...

Now, as he looked at his friends, he felt an intense feeling of great fullness fill is entire being. They really cared. Even Vegeta, the arrogant, self-centered prince of a dying race, who usually he fought will and made fun of, actually _cared_ about how hard this was on him. Goku, the stupid, innocent saiyan who usually didn't even notice when he was hit in the head with a heavy object, was sitting here with him, talking it out, noticing his pain, trying to help. And Krillin...the little bald guy, whom he really didn't know as well as the others, even this little guy cared for him, even though he wasn't as close to him as the others were.

Piccolo hadn't broken his promise to Karina's kidnapper. He never had actually _told_ the others. It didn't count if they over heard, right? And now Krillin knew as well, but it hadn't been Piccolo who told him. Vegeta and Goku did that. The thought of this irony, and how this loophole worked almost made Piccolo smirk in amusement. But, it didn't. He was far from showing any kind of sign of happiness period at the moment.

Piccolo's unfocused gaze shifted to the window, looking up at the scattered stars in the sky. The frat was in the city, and the light pollution didn't help the stars become very visible. But tonight, despite the city's glowing street lights, the stars were very viable indeed. They shone against the blanket of blackish blue easily, and this, in some odd way, gave Piccolo a mixed feeling of hope, and sadness.

He envied the stars. They were so free, so shining. They seemed to be happy. High in the night sky, they glimmered and sparkled without a care, while he sat down there on earth, feeling like he was in a hell hole. A hell hole of depression and worry. And most of all fear. He hated the feeling of fear. He had never felt fear before. Not really, even when Karina had first been kidnapped. Then, he had almost been sire of her death. If she was not in existence, then why should he fear for her well being, all he had been able to do was mourn, and wallow in self pity and regret. 

Piccolo was completely unaware of the conversation Vegeta and Goku were engaged in. Krillin was listening silently, sitting on one of the edges of the beds, his fingers laced with each other between his legs, which loosely hung open. Awkwardly, though none of them even seemed to notice, the only clothing any of them were wearing was boxers. Piccolo just stared out the window. Still thinking...always thinking.

_'It's not fair,'_ He thought, as one star his eyes were focusing on the most seemed to give a little extra twinkle of light at the same time of this thought, as though the star could read his mind, and knew it was being thought about, _'Karina is God knows where, trapped, alone...while that star sits high in the air, completely fine, surrounded by friends, not a worry in the world.'_ Piccolo felt his stomach sink. He once again, was shocked that not so long ago, he had never even thought about girls. How could so much have changed, and so quickly? He had never ever imagined feeling so much...for one woman. A woman not even in his race. He loved her...and couldn't deny it.

_'Karina...please...be safe...'_ Piccolo thought pleadingly, his eyes lifting to the ceiling as if in prayer,_ 'Please...stay alive...'_ To Piccolo's extreme surprise, he felt tears sting his eyes. How could he be thinking this? It was as if he was asking her to just take care of herself. And she was completely helpless, wherever she was. She couldn't do a thing, at least, not now. She probably had tried. Piccolo knew past her timid, sweet side, Karina was strong. But, even if she had tried, tried to take care of herself, try to free herself, she couldn't. He didn't want to act like he was superior, but he doubted Karina could take on however many men were holding her captive. She was a human...so weak, so fragile... Sometimes he saw her as porcline. And he knew, even if she was strong inside, she could easily break physically. 

Again Piccolo felt a sense of self-hate. He hated that he could think something like that. She was in peril, and there he was, asking her to be safe, to stay alive, as if she was in control of what they did to her. It was up to _him_ to keep her safe. _He_ was her only hope of survival._ 'And you just think she can control what happens to her?! So STUPID!'_

Piccolo was beating himself up inside again. He took a deep, shuddering breath, his temple pounding. He remembered when Bulma had told him to stop beating himself up about it...that it wasn't his fault. Her words helped slightly. He decided he hadn't been accusing Karina of being able to take care of herself. _'I just...'_ He thought, he felt as if Karina was hearing his thoughts, as if she was watching him with her gentle eyes, as he closed his tightly, choking back a sob,_ 'I just need you to stay alive. I **need** you...I love you...'_

He felt so desperate...so hopeless...so lost... He wanted to cry. To really cry, like he had when he first learned she was gone. To let uncontrollable sobs shake his body, to release his pain somehow, to try and get this bottled up feeling out of his system. He had cried for the first time, for hours, just straight hours, lying on his bed during the football championship, sobbing his heart out. Begging forgiveness. To Karina, his angel, for he had thought she was most certainly gone, gone from this Earth, and was now watching him cry, watching him release his pain as an angel above. 

But, she wasn't gone. She wasn't an angel. Not one out of this world anyways. In his eyes, she would always be an angel. Radiant and beautiful, with the heart as pure and loving as a real angel. This thought gave him a bit of hope, making the urge to release his pain through tears slowly ebb away. A warmth swelled in his chest. He felt...as if someone was watching over her. Some bigger force. An unearthly force. Someone that could really keep her safe.

The stinging tears slowly diminished their need to leave his eyes as he blinked them back. He gave a small sigh. All he could do was hope.

~*~

Darkness. Everywhere. It shrouded her, like a thick blanket, a hot, sticky blanket. And then, suddenly, the blanket would be pulled away, and she would gasp as the light blinded her, and she felt herself forced into the darkness once more. She could feel the cold night air chilling her bones. She could feel herself pushed forcefully into a small space. Her bound ankles and wrists made it hard to walk, much less move freely at all. 

Many times, when she knew she was alone, when she couldn't hear their voices, and knew no one was around, she would cry. Cry into the cloth over her eyes, let it become drenched with her tears until the crying finally stopped. _'Oh...Piccolo...'_ She would sob, wishing he was there. There to take this pain away..there to hold her. To keep her warm in his arms...

~*~

The next morning the sun rose slowly, slowly letting it's light creep over the hills and mountains, slowly spreading over the city, which was already awake with life. The city rarely slept, and there was always cars moving, people bustling about on their morning routines. A lot of people were just getting home from night shifts, ready to go to sleep, since their sleep came in the day, unlike for other's, whose rest came during the moon's round. Some people were returning to their homes from a night at the bar, ready to get sober and rested for tonight.

Piccolo and the other's were still awake when the sun sneaked into the window of their room. They hadn't even talked all of the night. For many hours they were content with just sitting and thinking, staring at different parts of the ceiling and wall, and also out the window. After a few moments of silence as the sun slowly but surely brightened the room, Piccolo stood, stretching slightly. The bed squeaked slightly as his weight lifted from it.

Without a word, he walked to the dresser, pulled out some pants, and started to get dressed for school. The other's slowly did the same, still not speaking. It was only when they went into the kitchen to start getting some breakfast, when they talked. It was Goku who broke the silence.

"So...you _are_ trying out for football...right, Piccolo?"

Piccolo looked at him for a moment, as did the others. After a small pause, he replied, "Yeah..."

Goku looked relieved with a small smile. "Good."

Vegeta smirked while loading a plate with various breakfast foods. "Yes, green bean will be very useful on the team."

"How about you?" Goku looked to Krillin. "Are you trying out?"

"Yep." Krillin replied with a grin.

Goku grinned back, "Yay!"

"Well, it's not like we have much to worry about," Krillin said matter-of-factly. "There aren't many people that are profoundly strong, like we are."

"Yeah, and they are human." Vegeta said as if it was the answer to everything..

"Hey, I'M human!" Krillin said defensively.

"No kidding?" Vegeta looked at him through half closed eye lids, "And I thought you were a saiyan."

"But, you said-"

"I meant that most humans are weaklings."

Krillin gave a small shrug of defeat, semi-agreeing, but still feeling a little offended. _'Don't let him get to you,'_ Krillin assured himself, _'I mean, it is Vegeta we're dealing with here...'_

'You have got a point there.' Krillin agreed. 

_'Yeah, I know, so don't let that ass offend you.'_

'Good idea.' Krillin thought.

_'I told you to listen to me more often.'_

Krillin shifted about uncomfortably, 'But your ideas aren't always the best..'

_'Sure they are.'_ Came the reply,_ 'It's your fault you don't carry them out correctly.' _

Krillin narrowed his eyes, 'I did just as you told me!'

_'My ASS you did! You always screw everything up...'_

Krillin growled slightly, 'I do not!'

_'Do too.'_

'Do not!'

_'Do too._'

'Do not!!'

_'Do too.'_

'Do not!!!'

_'DooOoo tooOoo...'_ Was the sing-songy reply.

"SHUT UP!" Krillin burst out loudly, and all the others in the room blinked, turning their heads to look questioningly at the shiny-headed teen.

Krillin stood holding his head, eyes darting about crazily, as if looking for another person in the room who was not there. Vegeta and Piccolo glanced at each other, and in unison, their left eye brows(/ridges) lifted. They looked back to Krillin, who was being gawked at unceasingly by Goku, who's look was nothing short of complete confusion.

Unfortunately for Krillin, he was finding himself in a very awkward position indeed, and quickly tried to calm down and attain a normal look. Dropping his hands and taking a deep breath, he ran one hand over his bald head as if wiping sweat from it, or smoothing the hair that did not exist there back. He gave a nervous smile that he obviously hoped was reassuring. Added to this smile, he gave a harsh laugh, that was more like a bark, and quickly shut his mouth again, hearing the odd tone to his voice, which was caused by his embarrassment and nervousness.

Goku was still staring non-stop, making the whole situation, for Krillin, even worse. Shifting from foot to foot as if movement would avert the aghast saiyan's eyes, Krillin shoved his hands in his pockets, then stared down consciously at the floor. This was mainly to avoid Goku's uncomfortable gaze, and he could not help but wonder why exactly Goku found this as such an amazing spectical.

"Um...sorry," Krillin finally said, breaking the dead silence as his eyes consciously glanced about at the faces around him, "I, uh...had a head ache."

After a pause, where more uncomfortable silence filled the room, Vegeta slowly spoke, word for word, as if Krillin might not understand if he said it too quickly, "So...you were telling...your headache...to shut up...?"

Goku's face, if possible, contorted into an even more puzzled look, his eyes never leaving Krillin. The bald teen gave an uncomfortable cough, then rubbed the back of his glimmering head, looking back to the floor. "No...I just, er..."

Another quiet that was so piercing filled the room, and soon a faint buzzing was heard in each of their heads, from lack of real noise. Goku finally pried his eyes from Krillin's embarrassed face to look around stupidly for the source of the buzz. Of course, there was no source of the buzz. It was all in his head, as well as everyone else's. And it was even worse in Piccolo's sensitive, easy-to-irritate ears.

"Hearing voices?" Piccolo asked, more to really just break the silence and get the buzz out of his head then anything else.

"NO!" Krillin said at once, almost too quickly. Again, Vegeta and Piccolo exchanged doubtful glances.

Vegeta opened his mouth to criticize and make fun of the poor short one, but Piccolo saw this and quickly moved his elbow roughly into his side, and the only sound that escaped Vegeta's mouth was an uncomfortable grunt. Growling, the spiky-haired prince turned a hateful gaze upon the annoyed Piccolo, who merely gave a sharp shake of his head to tell Vegeta to keep his mouth shut. Vegeta gave a scowl that looked like more of a pout, looking to the side stubbornly. He decided, however, there was enough stress on them all to add more...

Piccolo looked at his wrist watch. "Better head out or we'll be late for class," He declared quickly, lugging his bag over his shoulder.

"Yeah," Krillin agreed, happy for the interruption, and followed Piccolo's example willingly, slinging his bag over his shoulder, the device buldging with his football pads. The others did the same, though a little slower and hesitantly. 

Soon, they all decided in silent, mutual agreement, or nods and knowning looks behind Krillin's back, to forget about the whole little 'incident' in the kitchen as they made their way trudgingly over the campus, toward the main buildings. If Krillin was hearing voices, it was his problem, not their's. Right? Vegeta coughed. Right. 

~*~

The only sound for a while was their feet heavily hitting the grass, seeing as it was early in the morning and none of them had gotten much, if any, sleep last night. Finally, deciding to make conversation, Krillin spoke up, "Odd how there are actual TRY-OUTS for football..."

"Yeah," Piccolo agreed, not looking up from the movement of his feet, "In high school you used to sign up and boom-you were in. Not anymore."

Vegeta nodded, "Guess the standards for this coach is really high. It's the best or none."

Goku gave a small pout, "That means there won't be that many people, and we'll have to probably be playing a lot more with no subs."

Vegeta looked back at Goku, who was to his side and behind, "You are complaining?" He gave a small shake of his head, then said flatly, "Better drop that attitude."

"Besides, when have you ever been the one to complain, Mr. 'It's alright guys! Let's keep at it!'" Piccolo said, eye ridge raised questioningly.

"I'm not, I'm not..." Goku said, looking at the ground as if trying to think of something to back up this statement, "I just meant, well, it's going to be true..."

"It doesn't matter," Vegeta huffed, looking forward, "We're some of the best players anyways, and they won't let us rest much anyways, just like last year."

"Yeah, that's true..." Goku agreed, though not willingly.

"I think it will probably be a breeze," stated Piccolo airily with a wave of his hand, "I doubt there will be anyone on other teams to be much of a challenge. I bet practices and scrimaging will be more entertaining."

"Heh," Vegeta laughed confidently, giving a nod of agreement, "Exactly. There won't be anyone like US out there on the other teams. Sure they might be talented, by _human_ standards,"-At this point, Krillin gave an indignant cough, but Vegeta ignored him-"but they haven't seen anything close to talent _yet._"

They finally reached the towering dome that was the football field, surrounded by many seats, rows and rows. Not like a professional stadium, exactly, but quite a nice stadium none the less. They went through an entrance, quickly finding the locker room, thanks to helpful signs on the walls, which also had Braille below the raised letters. They went inside, and were surprised to see how many young men were already there. They had heard the muffled noises of talking and movement once approaching the door, but as it was opened, the sound increased ten-fold, making the few that just arrived blink, and even the sensitive-eared Piccolo grimace. 

The hustle and sound of so many voices at once was surprising, but even more surprising was the lack of clothes. Some of the men just walked about, to and from the showers, completely without a scrap of clothing, not including the towel around their neck or hanging carelessly over their shower. All of their eyes widened, then quickly averted from these sites, and made their way unsteadily inside, looks of disgust on their faces. Sure, they had been in the showers with other guys before while in the gym, but had had the decency to put on a towel before and after showering. Vegeta's eye twitched, and Piccolo looked beyond disturbed, staring determinedly at his new locker as he stripped is shirt off, throwing it into the locker. He bent down to the bench before the lockers, taking out his football pads from his bag, never looked anywhere else besides the pads, the floor, and his locker. He began putting them on in an almost mechanical way, very used to this routine.

Soon him and all the others were dressed in their football attire, and in this time-span, the realization came to their minds that it was just before try-outs, and they had done nothing yet to need a shower. So why were the other men taking showers? Perhaps they had not showered for a few days and wanted to freshen up. Uncomfortably, they quickly left the room in an unceremonial way, clambering for the door as if a fire was spreading in the locker room, and they were all trying to get to safety.

Feeling much more comfortable as they walked out onto the green, lush grass of the huge field, they relaxed and slowed their pace down, which had practically been a sprint all the way from the locker rooms 'till reaching the field. Piccolo straightened the collar of his football jersey, as if he was straightening his tie, giving a cough. The others loosened up soon as well, and they went into scattered stretching, doing different stretches on and off.

Goku's head turned when he saw movement on the other end of the field. There was their coach, adorned in blue sweat pants, a grey t-shirt, whistle askew upon his chest. Titebutte looked as harsh as ever, his thick brows set in a stern scowl, his upper lip almost curled, the wrinkles around his nostrils evident from even a far distance away. It seemed that he was not having the best of days.

_'Uh-oh...'_ Goku thought, then elbowed Vegeta, who was closest to him, and gave a nod of his head in the coaches' general direction. Vegeta growled slightly at the elbow nudged into his rib, then looked in the indicated direction. He passed the 'message' to Krillin, who in turn passed it to Piccolo. Soon they were all watching the angered Titebutte storm closer.

Once he arrived, all the other players (now dressed in pads, etc) were also out, and watching. Everything, except the sound of the coaches' storming cleats on the grass, was quiet. He finally arrived in front of them all. He took his wistle in his hand, shoved it in his mouth, and blew loudly, the shrill scream echoing through the stadium long after he had lost his breath.

Piccolo thought he was going to keel over.

Titebuttes voice was a snarl, "Welcome to hell, ladies."

~*~

End.

I know, a sucky ending, but I mostly wanted to get a chapter up before I went out of town. Sorry it took so long, and hope you all like it. Please review!!!! 


	9. ChiChi's gotta plan?

__

**Disclaimer:** Dragonball Z®_ and all logos, character names, and distinctive likeness thereof are trademarks of _© 2003 BIRD STUDIO/SHUEISHA, TOEI ANIMATION._ I do not own any of these materials, characters, etc. I own my own characters, and this is my own fictional world in which I have respectively put _Akira Toryiama's_ characters. _

Thank You's: To first of all, Dbz Dealer, for...well...just everything. Being my friend and all that more importantly. Also to all of you reviewing...

**A/N:** I really haven't done much plotting or anything lately, so I'm kind of just going with the flow. I need to do a little more planning on the next chapter, because this is just off the top of my head. I think I'll make this chapter one of the more not-relevant-to-the–main-plot chapters. As in it's more of a humor filled one but doesn't have much, if any, real importance toward the story line or climax. But who knows...I might change my mind. Anyways, on with the fic. 

**A/N 2: **Oh yeah, I noticed that I had a mix up in the last chap. Piccolo mentioned they better get to class, but I accidently said they went straight to the football field. So, uh, pretend they went to class first. ^.^;; Anyways, football try-outs were supposed to be AFTER classes...Anyways, moving on... 

~*~ 

Piccolo heaved his bag off of his damp, sodden, padded shoulder, throwing in carelessly to the floor with a loud thump by the door in the entrance way, walking inside. He mumbled in agitation, walking slowly and hunched to the living room, where he then collapsed gratefully onto the couch, not caring if his muddy football uniform dirtied the exterior. 

Soon his equally dirty comrades accompanied him, bags left carelessly somewhere on the floor. They were sore all over. Krillin gave a small groan of discomfort, lying his head back and looking up at the ceiling through tired, half-closed eyes. For a few moments, the room was filled with an almost peaceful silence. Then... 

"I knew I should of trained more during the summer." 

The others looked to Vegeta, who had just spoken, and nodded in simultaneous agreement. Goku shook his head slightly, as if in shame at himself, then stated, "I really was being lazy all summer...and ate a lot." 

The others gave a few chuckles, nodding again. Piccolo then spoke, "Yeah, you always eat a lot. But you didn't even bother to really burn it off this time. I'm surprised you aren't fat." This brought more hearty laughter, which was not expressed by Goku, who was now giving a small pout. 

"I'm not fat." 

"I never said you were," Piccolo said exasperated, his eyes closed and a sweat drop trickling down his temple slowly. "I said I'm surprised you aren't." 

"Well, we still did pretty good," Krillin changed the subject, "I mean, I bet that me and Piccolo'll make the team. We did a lot better then some of those guys out there..." 

"True, but I don't really feel excited, for some reason." Piccolo said with a tired glance at the bald one. 

Krillin chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his usually shining head, which was now smudged with mud, "I know what you mean. It was really tough, even with our, you know...powers." 

"Well, even though we already are "above average" in that area," Piccolo intervened, "We better get our ass's into better shape, or else we're dead." 

"I'm not sure if I'm not already dead right now..." Goku whimpered, lying back in his chair, aching all over and crunching his face into a pained pout. 

"If you still can feel pain," Vegeta spat, rolling his eyes, "you are definitely still living, Kakarot." 

Goku just continued to pout like a little kid who'd just been scolded. 

Piccolo sighed. "I have a feeling that this is going to be a long season..." 

~*~ 

"RUN YOU MAGGOTS!" Specks of spittle flew from his mouth as coach Titebutte yelled at his thundering football team, who ran once again around the track surrounding the football stadium. Panting and tired, they had certainly had enough of this, but Titebutte was far from finished with them. 

After another few laps, he finally allowed them to stop. Upon this pause, they all rested their hands on their knees, leaning forward and panting heavily, trying to gain the breath they had lost.( The worst thing about running [to me] isn't the pain in your legs, it's how you can't breathe comfortably. ) After this short pause, their merciless coach forced drills upon them. 

Another day of grueling practice, and finally, it was over. They went back to the fraternity, where they gratefully took a well-deserved nap. Thanks to this practice, as evil as it seemed, it gave Piccolo a distraction from having to think about Karina so much. Not that he was inconsiderate, but it was peaceful for him to not be able to think about it as much. He felt at times, to get rid of emotional pain, you had to release it with physical pain. And football practices were doing just that. 

Now, it wasn't exactly a blessing, for it brought along with it's unconscious easing, stress. Double that stress with that of the homework load, and he had no time at all to think about Karina, as awful as it may seem. He was even so exhausted at night, that sleep actually came to him. He sometimes dreamt of her... 

Once, he was in a field of seemingly endless rippling green grass. It tingled, and whipped playfully at his legs as he walked on, looking around at the mystical expanse. It was like an ocean made of green threads, all brought to life in the wind, dancing in waves of soft movement. Then, he would turn around suddenly, his sensitive ears enhancing the sound of near-inaudible footsteps that were not his own. 

His eyes would lift from the white flowing cloth that disappeared into the waving grasses, up the slender and finely curved body, glistening in the same flawless white cloth, to the beautiful smooth features of her visage. So perfect, so glowing, so happy. Her eyes glistened with emotion, her pink, healthy lips turned into a soft smile. Chartreuse strands of her hair whipped softly around her face and shoulders in the soft breeze, like the grass below her. 

He would feel the warmest glow in the depth of his chest, spreading throughout his body in a joy that could not be expressed verbally. His hands gripped in silent eagerness, he walked slowly towards her, eyes taking in every feature of her beauty and all that she was, and that he knew her to be. He longed to hold her in his arms like he had once before, however he savored the walk to her, taking his time, though he felt like running to her and swinging her around. 

If only he had. For when he had reached her after the slow walk, he would reach out to touch her. Her skin that looked so flawless, so smooth and soft to the touch, was suddenly gone as his hand was but an inch from touching it. All of her was gone. She was no where to be seen. 

In frantic, dreading panic, he spun around, looking every which way his eyes could, as if maybe she had only moved behind him. This hope was in vain, and she was no where. She was gone. He would have so longed to hold her again...To feel her warmth in his arms... 

If only he had followed his heart, if only he hadn't been resisting what he had felt the urge to do so strongly. Maybe then he would have reached her in time. 

After such a dream as this, Piccolo would awake in a cold sweat, often sitting up straight in his bed, looking around wildly as he had in the dream. Then he would lie back, allowing himself to catch his breath, and convincing himself that it had not been real. It had seemed to real, though...As if he could smell her sweet, soft scent he was so close... 

~*~

Vegeta sighed as he stared out the window. _'Damn math. Who needed it anyways?' _He watched a bird fly to a tree limb, landing softly upon it, flapping it's small wings gracefully. _'Stupid bird.' _Vegeta thought, with undeniable envy. He felt like blasting it, but the glass of the window was in the way, and also it might cause quite a scene in the middle of class. He glared at the bird, _'It's your lucky day.'_ The bird, of course, did not hear his thought, and gave a smart flick of it's tail, before spreading it's little wings and flying off freely once more. 

Mumbling, the teenage saiyan rested his chin in his palms, his elbows propping his arms up on the desk before him. He groaned, as did the rest of the class, as the professor told them all to bring out their books, for they would be getting their homework assigned. He wrote down the assignment absentmindedly as it was given, but didn't have really any plans to do it. At least, not any time soon. He was not looking forward to football. Then again, he never was. 

The professor allowed them to ask questions about yesterdays assignment. As soon as this was granted, the first hand that shot up into the air was none other then that of Son Goku, whom Vegeta had been shocked to see that this saiyan had been able to get into this class in the first place. He did get _in_ the class, but hell, it didn't mean he was _passing_ it. Vegeta watched in half-amusement as Goku gave the question, which the teacher began to work out on the board. Goku watched with a confused look about him, head tilted to one side curiously, one brow lifted in confusion, a small frustrated pout on his lips. The professor finished the problem, giving the solution, then asked Goku if he understood the process. 

"Umm...Can you repeat that please?"

"Do you understand the process that I went through to come to the answer?" The professor repeated.

"No, I mean can you repeat the process?" Goku explained, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hmm...let's have another student help us out, shall we?" He erased the problem. "Who would like to set up the problem?" 

No one replied, the whole class staying completely silent. "Come now, don't make me pick someone." The professor crossed his arms in annoyance, scowling about the room, which remained quiet despite the threat. They all, however, sank back in their chairs a bit reluctantly.

"Hm...Vegeta," said the professor decisively, "You've been _attentive_ today, have you not?" The obvious trace of sarcasm in his voice was unmistakable.

Vegeta jumped a little in his chair, looking at the man in complete surprise. "Umm...could you repeat the question?" Vegeta, who was staring out the window when his name was called, asked.

"I _said,_" the professor repeated, grim satisfaction that his insinuation of him not listening had been proved in his voice, "I have chosen you, since you are so aware of what's going on, to work out problem 56 in the board."

Vegeta blinked a little, then frowned slightly in a half scowl. He crossed his arms resentfully, "Do I have to?"

The man blinked at Vegeta's ignorance in surprise, then became angered and glared, pointing at the board as if it was Vegeta's destiny to go to it, "OF COURSE YOU DO!"

Giving a small scoff, Vegeta stood. He made his way to the board casually, snatching the shock from his professor rudely, "Fine."

He looked at the problem on the board, which the instructor had written out, and then began to work. He finished a while later, putting a circle around the solution with a confident whisk of the chalk. He turned to the man, crossing his arms, chalk still in hand. The professor looked over the problem, amazed. "That...That is correct."

"Heh," Vegeta gave a satisfied chuckle, returning to his seat. He put his hands behind his head, resuming staring out the window.

"Well," said the instructor with a slightly frustrated tone of voice, straightening his glasses, "very well done. Do you understand now, Mr. Son?"

There came no answer. Everyone turned, even Vegeta, to look upon Goku, wondering why he did not reply. Everyone blinked twice simultaneously.

Goku sat leaning forward, cheek pressed into his book, a small puddle of drool forming under his mouth, as he slept rather contently. The instructor became furious, gripping his fists and was about to explode when, thankfully, the bell rang.

There was a rush to get out of the door, and Goku, being awakened by the bell, joined Vegeta, slinging their bags over their shoulders. They walked out to leave the enraged teacher to himself. Goku did not know why he was mad, the dumb innocent little cutie. ( Lol ^.^; )

"The saying 'saved by the bell' really was true this time," Vegeta said to his comrade with a smirk, "You're lucky, or he would of been chewing your ass out."

Goku blinked in confusion, then looked rather disgusted, "Why would he chew on my butt?"

Vegeta stared in a mixture of awe and irritation at the innocent saiyan, contemplating how the hell he could be so stupid. He saw no signs of recognition on Goku's face, which he thought might have appeared after a few moments of working his brain. "I meant yelled at you," He said, sweat dropping, and resumed walking. (He had stopped to wonder at Goku's stupidity)

"Oh," Goku said, "Why didn't you say so?"

"Because," Vegeta rolled his eyes, "I forgot I had to put everything in exact words so you can understand. Phrases for you are dangerous."

Goku and Vegeta walked for a few moments in silence before Goku said, as if the last few exchanged of conversation had never taken place, "Why would he yell at me?"

"You fell asleep, idiot," Vegeta explained in a smart ass tone, "and it was right after you asked the problem to be explained."

"Oh yeah..." Goku rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin, "Well, I was tired and that class is boring."

"I know," Vegeta said with a small yawn, as they exited the building where all the mathematics classes took place, and walked onto the grassy campus, ignoring the sidewalks made to walk on. Goku followed.

"Can we get some lunch?" Goku asked hopefully.

"Yeah might as well. Although we already ate lunch..." Vegeta smirked some, then glanced at his wrist watch, "I have an hour until my next class anyways."

"Me too." Goku grinned.

"...We're in the same class."

"Oh yeah!" Goku said with genuine realization. Vegeta shook his head and continued on his way toward the frat. house.

~*~

"And then I said," Chi-chi took a small pause to dramatically glance about the room, "No way!"

"You go, Chi-Chi." Bulma grinned.

"That's the way to tell them." 18 nodded, arms crossed over her chest decisively.

"Uh..yeah, good job." Krillin said with a blink.

Piccolo snored on the couch unresponsively.

Bulma mumbled in a annoyance, glancing at the green man. "Well, isn't _he polite._"

Krillin grinned nervously as Chi-Chi shook her head shamefully and 18 smirked. He gave a little sigh and closed his eyes, wondering if he should tell them exactly why Piccolo was sleeping. It wasn't because Bulma's story was long and boring and drawling on, or anything; ( well that could of been a factor ) Piccolo hadn't gotten much if any sleep last night. The reason Krillin knew this was because it had to be true. Piccolo had been falling asleep in every class he had him in.

"Don't be mad at him," He said as Bulma stopped in her advance to strangle the sleeping namekian awake, "It's not his fault he didn't get much sleep." 

Bulma and the other two looked at him. Bulma put her strangling hands down, looking a bit uncomfortable and hesitant, "Has he been...having bad dreams again?"

A few times before Piccolo had briefed them on his dreams on Karina. Krillin shrugged in truthful confusion, "I don't know, I just know he's been falling asleep all day." 

Just then they heard the door open, and everyone fell silent. Goku and Vegeta entered the room to be greeted with unusual smiles. Vegeta raised a brow, giving the room a sweeping glance as if to find the source of their discomfort. "Are you guys...okay?"

Bulma shook her head, "We're fine."

Goku sat next to Chi-Chi on the couch and Vegeta took a seat in an arm chair. Goku sighed slightly, "Damn, I hate college."

Everyone blinked in surprise. They all turned to Goku, looking at him in disbelief, their eyes wide. Surely the innocent _Goku_ hadn't just swore! But, he had. And it wasn't that bad of a word, but still, for _him_ to say it...It was shocking.

"Sorry," Goku blushed in shame as Chi-Chi stared at him in horror, mouth agape, "but I do..." Goku pouted a bit looking at the ground, as if ready to cry.

Piccolo, who still lied upon one of the couches couch unnoticed, opened one eye, looking at Goku. He sighed and closed both eyes, sitting up. This sudden movement caused everyone's eyes to dart to him, and he leaned forward, elbows on his knees, hands hanging loosely between the gap of his legs.

"I hate it too..." Piccolo said, staring at the floor, eyes open half way, "I hate all my classes, my teachers, most of my classmates...I hate everything."

Everyone continued to look at him in a solemn silence, then their gazes shifted elsewhere in discomfort. Vegeta leaned back, crossing his arms over his crest, closing his eyes.

"You aren't the only one's." He huffed, then mumbled incoherently under his breath.

"Come on guys..." Bulma looked around at them, not getting any kind of response from them at all, continued, "It's not that bad..."

Piccolo's eyes shot open as he looked to the female harshly, "It's plenty bad enough."

Bulma wasn't giving up that easily, even though she kind of shrunk under his not-so-friendly gaze, "All you guys do is be pessimistic and mope around! Look at the _bright_ side of things for once!!"

Piccolo looked at her in disbelief, mouth slightly open, "_Bright side of things?_ WHAT BRIGHT SIDE!?" As he rose his voice, he also rose from his chair, fists gripped and growling at the now cowering blue-haired girl.

Vegeta was suddenly out of his chair and in front of Bulma protectively, glaring at Piccolo. Bulma peeked over his shoulder timidly at the angry green one. 

Piccolo sat down heavily, and this caused Vegeta to untense and turn to Bulma. He led her to the chair and let her sit, standing up himself, arms crossed.

18 gave a sigh of frustration and stood up, looking round at them all. "You guys need to have some fun in your lives! All this work and no play is making you all bastards!"

Krillin watched his blonde girlfriend with a small hint of blush across his cheeks, and where his nose would be. Goku looked at 18 timidly, as if he couldn't imagine doing anything fun right now, but not daring to say it. Vegeta looked at 18, but stayed quiet. Piccolo didn't respond at all.

"I have an idea." 18 said, with a small smirk, putting her hands on her hips. "We all have class soon, right?"

Everyone gave a small nod, spare Piccolo, who stayed quiet still. 18 walked in a small circle slowly, looking down as if in thought, hands still on her hips. "Well," she said finally, "screw class. Let's skip today." Everyone kind of blinked, even Piccolo, who now looked to her.

"But then we have football..." said after a small moment of silence.

"Screw it! Take a break for once." 18 said simply.

"Wait a minute," Vegeta growled and stood a bit taller, arms crossed more firmly, "We can't just _skip_ class and practice. We'll get in major trouble without an excuse."

18 gave a small shrug, "Call in sick."

"Oh yeah, like that will work." Piccolo snorted and rolled his eyes, standing up, "Coach tight ass said that if we call in sick and don't show up for practice he'll make us run so much next practice that we will _really_ be sick."

18 stood up to Piccolo, having t look up at him because of his height, but not showing any fear, "Fine, we'll think of something else."

Vegeta closed his eyes, one eyebrow twitching, "Like what?"

Everyone was quiet for a few minutes...Then...

"I have an idea." Chi-Chi suddenly spoke up, causing everyone to turn their heads to her. She looked like she was fighting with herself to reveal this idea or not, blushing a little and scowling as she looked at the ground.

"Well?" Vegeta lifted a brow, looking at her, "Spit it out then!"

Chi-Chi gave a small sigh. _'I can't believe I'm making up an excuse to skip class,'_ she thought, but looked around at them all, opening her mouth to reveal her plot.

~*~

That's it for now folks. _**One reason I've been so slow to update is lack of reviews. I hardly have any ambition to write if I don't even know if anyone is reading it, or for that matter liking it, so please tell me what you think in a review if you want more frequent updates...**_ Have a good day/night (Whenever you are reading this.)


	10. ChiChi's plan, partly revealed!

**Disclamer:** I do not own any Dragonball Z characters. I only own my own creations and nothing else.

**A/N:** I'm having trouble writing, so this probably won't be that great of a chapter. Sort of going with whatever comes to mind, not too much planning involved, but I promise I'll try to make it interesting. I think I'm going to wrap up the story soon, because it's hard to mantian it at the moment, and it's kind of drawling on anyways. Who knows where my writing career will go afterwords. Maybe some plot-fics, or just some senseless humor shorties. Maybe a romance! o_O I dunno. -.-; Maybe not. 

Anyways let's just get on with the chapter, shall we?

~*~

Everyone looked at Chi-Chi expectantly, waiting for her brilliant plan. She blushed slightly. _'I shouldn't be doing this. Goku needs his studies!'_ But no sooner had the thought escaped the vacinity of her mind had she looked at Goku's expectant face. He really had been miserble lately...and so had she. Hell, everyone had been miserable for the last week.

_'Just this one time I'll help,'_ she thought reasurringly to herself, _'Besides, just one time won't hurt, right?'_

"Well?" Vegeta asked, breaking the silence and awakening Chi-Chi with a small start from her thoughts. 

"Okay," Chi-Chi said after taking a breath, "I'll help. Calling in sick will do fine for school, but just this once!" She said this last bit sternly, looking around at them all with narrowed eyes, "You can't go skipping a lot of school!" Vegeta and Piccolo mumbled some, as the other's nodded, somewhat dismally. She gave a pert nod of satifaction, crossing her arms over her chest. 

"But," Piccolo pointed out, looking at Chi-Chi through half closed eyes, "We just told you that calling in sick won't go well with football. And that's the _main_ thing we want to skip."

"Yeah," Krillin agreed, as Goku and Vegeta nodded, "It's evil." Krillin said this quite matter-of-factly.

Chi-Chi sweatdropped, closing her eyes, "Well, let me EXPLAIN and we might actually get to that part." She opened them again, her eyes flashing to Piccolo again. He blinked some then leaned back, giving her a small glare in return.

"Bulma," Chi-Chi said, begining to release her plan, "You will call the school, immitating our sorority leader. You'll say that 18, Bulma (or you, you know), and I have caught a contageous virus and are unable to come to school. Piccolo," Piccolo blinked some, "You'll do the same, but you'll be immitating your frat. leader, and tell that Vegeta, Krillin, Goku, and Piccolo (or yourself anyways) are ill."

"Why me?" Piccolo asked, lifting an eyeridge in confusion. 

"Because," Chi-Chi said shortly, "I don't think the other guys would be mature enough to be able to carry out the whole thing in a calm voice."

"Hey!" Vegeta growled some, "I could do it!"

Piccolo smirked looking at Vegeta, "I highly doubt that."

Vegeta gave Piccolo an angry scowl, "Why?!"

Piccolo couldn't resist. "'Cuz your a little bitch."

Vegeta trembled with anger, gripping his hand into a tight fist. "How many times..."

"I'm not sure," Goku cut him off, oblivious to Vegeta's obvious anger, "But It's been atleast twenty times that you've told him not to call you that."

"Thank you for counting, Kakarot." Vegeta sweat dropped, glaring angrily at Goku. 

Goku grinned airily, "Any time!"

"Why deny the truth?" Piccolo asked with a small smirk, regaining Vegeta's attention, and anger. He seemed amused by Vegeta's towering temper, smiling cooly and waiting for the impending attack. He was ready for it. It was inevitable that Vegeta was going to attack in rage, and Piccolo planned to teach Vegeta a little lesson on who is boss by bringing his knee right into Vegeta's stomach. _'Heh, that'd teach the little-'_

"If you even think about touching each other," Chi-Chi said with a cool tone of annoyance, "Then you can plan to go to school and football on your own tomorrow. Both of you."

They looked to her, blinking slightly. With a small irritated glance at each other, they stuck out their tongues out as a final little insult. They then turned their backs to one another stubbornly, arms folding over their chests. Chi-Chi shook her head as if she had just been denying children their candy, and then looked around at the others. Piccolo crossed his arms, his smirk returning.

"You're right to choose me as the mature one," He said, glancing at Goku, Krillin, and Vegeta. "Last time we were prank-calling, those three couldn't help but crack up laughing."

~*~ Flashback ~*~ 

The phone rings. A woman turns off the water she is using to wash her dishes and dries her hands quickly on a small hand-towel, then picks up the still-ringing phone. "Hello?"

"Hi."

She can hear faint snickering on the other side of the conversation.

"Who is this?" She asks, putting one hand on her hip, using the other to keep the phone against her ear.

"Um, no one." Comes the reply.

More faint snickering, then a small "ow."

"..."

Hurried incoherent whispering arose in the background. "Oh yeah-um, is your refridgarator running?"

"...Why wouldn't it be?"

A pause. Then: "Huh?"

"Yes, it's running." She rolls her eyes at the oldest trick in the book.

Another pause, then another "ow," then snickering. "Well you-you better go catch it!!!"

"..."

Loud laughter erupts, then a click. She shook her head, hanging up. Then returned to the dishes, whistling.

~*~

Piccolo shook his head at the memory. "That was truely pathetic."

Goku crossed his arms and pouted, "Well she confused me! She didn't just say "yes!" That threw me off. And I kept forgetting my lines."

Piccolo sweatdropped as he closed his eyes. ( -_-; )

Someone cleared their throat. "Anyways, ready to hear my plan on how to skip football?"

All eyes returned to Chi-Chi once more, everyone blinking slightly. "Sure." Vegeta scoffed as he leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms confidently, as if amused and ready to see what Chi-Chi had in store for them all. _'This should be good.'_ Vageta thought, then smirked a bit to himself, _'Miss goody-two-shoes, coming up with a plan to do something naughty. Ooo, you bad little girl, you.'_

"Well," Chi-Chi started, quite simply, as she looked around at them all with a grin, "I happen to know that Coach Titebutte has a little addiction. A weakness, you might say." Everyone looked quizantly at her, waiting for her to continue. "He likes alchohol. A lot."

"He's an alcoholic?" Bulma asked, blinking in surprise.

"Not exactly..." Chi-Chi said quickly, then paused slightly. "He really likes to drink, but he usually has pretty good control of how much. I guess you might say he is an alcoholic, but I don't beleive it is really a neccesity for him."

'_Yup, he's an alcoholic,_' Vegeta thought to himself. 

"'Pretty good' control?" Piccolo pushed.

'_Yeah, after he went to rehab or something,_' Vegeta snickered inwardly.

"Well, he has a history of loosing his control numerous times." Chi-Chi said.

"How the hell do you know all this?" Vegeta asked with a small growl, "What, is he your grandfather? You know about ol grandpa gettin' into the booze?"

Piccolo snickered as Chi-Chi growled, "No, of course not, you idiot." Vegeta growled at being insulted, but didn't get a chance to spit a retort back, "I overheard some teachers talking."

"When?" Goku asked, blinking a little.

"Well, they didn't know I was there. I had come into the lounge to pick up something for one of my professors," Chi-Chi explained, then paused, her eyes darting from one side to the other in a suspicious way, "Well, actually I was supposed to knock first, but I wanted to get a look around the place."

"Oh, daring." Piccolo rolled his eyes, his antennea drooping a bit. Chi-Chi glanced at him in irritation then continued, ignoring him, "Anyways, there was a coke machine that blocked me from their veiw, and I heard the mention of 'football coach' and decided to listen for a bit. That's how I heard."

Vegeta nodded slightly, and Piccolo and Goku, as well as the others, all looked at her still. "But Chi-Chi," Bulma said slowly, then grinned nervously closing her eyes as she sweat dropped, "What's the big deal? A lot of people enjoy drinking."

"True, but not like him." Chi-Chi said, "He has self-control--to a point. But, if he doesn't watch himself, he could find himself very intoxicated. "

"So, you want us to spike the water at football or something?" Piccolo asked.

"No, we can do it before practice. Then we can do what we like sooner." Ch-Chi said.

"How?" Goku asked.

A grin spread over Chi-Chi's face, "I also heard that he always goes to the bar every Friday night. Right before football practice."

"Okay, so what, we can let him get himself drunk?" Piccolo blinked some, "Well, that'll be conveiniant." His eyes closed as he sweat dropped.

"No, he won't get drunk unless we make some modifications to his drink." Chi-Chi said, her grin spreading. Goku looked at her nervously. He had never seen her look this mischievious before. Truthfully, it was unnerving. "How will we do that?" He asked meekly.

"We'll need a distraction for the bartender," She said, glancing to Piccolo pointedly, who blinked, "And also, we'll need a stand-in bartender to screw up his drink. He usually just orders a mild martini, but we'll have to..." She paused and smirked, "...Spice it up a little."

"Damn," Vegeta murmered, "The gossip went into detail so far you even know what drink he orders."

"I know," Chi-Chi said with a smirk, "Which is good. So now, I know exactly what we can do to get him smashed."

Goku watched Chi-Chi with a nervous expression. Seeing her so crafty-looking made him nervous. She usually was either angry- or happy-looking, not evilly clever. He shifted a bit in his seat, glancing at her. She smiled and kissed his cheek, "Don't worry Goku, I have it all planned out." He smiled slightly in return.

"I'm scared to ask." Piccolo said, with a small sigh. Chi-Chi beckoned them all foreward, an eager grin on her face. They leaned in close, as she began to reveal her plan.

"Are you insane!?" Vegeta broke the long, stunned silence. "There is no way in HELL that I'm going to-"

Piccolo burst out into hysterical laughter, breaking the enraaged saiyan off. "Oh," Piccolo gasped, then laughed a while longer, "This is going to be SO good!" He laughed harder, causing Vegeta to fume even more. His face was red, teeth clenches together roughly, his fists in tight balls. They trembled slightly, "NO WAY IN HELL AM I GOING TO DO THAT!"

"You're doing it," Chi-Chi stated firmly, glaring at Vegeta. "Whether you like it or not."

"Besides," Bulma was trying not to anger Vegeta further, but couldn't help but smile, "Goku will be doing it with you, so atleast you won't be alone. Right?" She giggled a little bit, trying to keep a straight face. She failed miserably.

"OH, WONDERFUL!"

Vegeta yelled, his eyes darting to Goku, who looked rather displeased at the sitution as well, "NOT ONLY WILL I BE HUMILIATING MYSELF, KAKAROT WILL BE THERE WITH ME! I FEEL SO FORTUNATE!" His glare shot back to Bulma, who now looked very angry herself, and fed up with Vegeta's complaining. 

"FINE," She said, "You can just GO to football and school, have fun ON YOUR OWN!"

Vegeta face faulted slightly, still looking angry. He finally exhaled heavily through his nose, and sat dwn on the couch in unresigned defeat. "I can't believe this." He growled and looked to the side, arms crossed stubbornly over his chest.

Goku just sat there, pouting a little. "Man...This stinks."

Chi-Chi smiled and kissed Goku's cheek, putting her arms around him comfortingly, "Don't worry." She smiled again and kissed his lips softly, her look and tone reassuring. She smirked faintly.

"It will be worth it."

~*~

Hey, sorry for the long long wait, but I have been able to write a lot more, and have most of the next chapter ready to go already! I'd like to get atleast five reviews before I post it, though. But, if I don't I will still probably post it next Sunday or Monday. ( January 11-12 ) Please review! 


	11. Lively Afternoon At The Bar

**Disclaimer:** All characters are registered and copyrighted to FUNImation, Akira Toriyama, or whoever the heck owns Drangonball Z. Any registered products or characters mentioned in this story do not belong to me.

**A/N:** Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed the last chapter. This one is longer, and I think you'll like it. Please review!

~*~

Piccolo flashed his fake I.D. with an air of casualness, entering Bob's Bar with little difficulty. Vegeta and Goku followed, but you wouldn't be able to recognize it was the two as themselves. Their new fake I.D.'s had been provided, with a little green 'persuasion', by Jack. (The Frat leader, to refresh your memory...) He had been confused at first by the request, because it was a very strange one indeed. However, they were able to convince him that it was for some friends, not themselves, and Jack had produced the I.D.'s with empty picture slots, so they could add the pictures themselves. They had just taken the picture that day, too.

Piccolo seemed to not even notice the two women trailing behind him as he walked in, both hands now casually in his leather jacket, his dark sunglasses making the dim light of the room even less noticeable. He took a seat at the bar, sighing slightly and rubbing his temples. The bartender was behind the bar, cleaning a glass with a small yawn, seemingly oblivious to the green man. Piccolo didn't care.

Meanwhile, Vegeta and Goku's attention was else were. They looked all about them, feeling very uncomfortable at the present moment. After scanning the bar completely, they took a seat at a table to confide with one another.

"Guess he's not here yet," Goku whispered, taking another glance around the room.

"Obviously," Vegeta growled. He wasn't in the best of moods.

"Vegeta?" Goku said, still in a whisper.

"What?" Vegeta asked, somewhat snappishly.

"This thing is riding up." Goku whined.

"Well what the hell can I do about it?" Vegeta rolled his eyes as Goku pouted slightly. Goku supposed that this was true, so he fell silent. Well, he fell silent for a while, anyways.

"Vegeta?"

"What?" 

"Are you feeling as uncomfortable as I am?"

"What the hell do you think?"

There was a slight pause, as Goku tried to think of what he thought of. But, this concept was way beyond his conception, and he soon became confused with the entire idea of thinking about thinking. 

"Could you repeat the question?" Goku asked after a moment.

"Shut the hell up." Vegeta growled.

Goku thought about how Vegeta kept managing to use "hell" in every sentence he had said so far. Oddly, he found this amusing. He decided to point it out to Vegeta. He opened his mouth, just to be cut off by Vegeta's disgusted remark.

"Damn! Close your legs, you moron!"

Goku blinked before pushing his knees tightly together, feeling himself blush. Vegeta seemed to be very disturbed; He kept rubbing at his eyes furiously as if to wash the image he had seen from them. Goku gave him a small glare, "Well, I'm not used to wearing these things!"

"Are you saying I am!?" Vegeta growled. 

Goku forgot to whisper as he replied loudly, "Maybe. You probably dress up like a girl whenever you want in private, for all I know." Then, he felt the stares of many people around him and quieted his voice as Vegeta fumed in anger. "Oops," Goku said, in a whisper this time, "Sorry."

Vegeta just glared, then seemed to let it slide. Goku found this a big improvement, since Vegeta had a bad habit of holding grudges for long amounts of time. He didn't get to think about this wonder long though, because Vegeta threw him off his train of thought with his whispered announcement: "He's here." 

Goku, remembering to stay casual, turned his head to the side to act as if he was looking at the TV, which now displayed the most recent professional football game. He didn't pay much attention though, because he took a long side glance toward the door, where none other then their coach, Mr. Titebutte, was standing. He was wearing casual clothes; Jeans and a T-shirt--An odd change from his usual sweat pants and worn coach jacket, which he had worn to every single practice they had so far.

Piccolo picked up his glass, freshly refilled, and took a small sip. He could see the unique reflection of his coach as he approached the bar, and then saw him out of the corner of his eye, as he sat a few stools down from him. He smirked slightly to himself as his hand disappeared into the front of his coat. He removed a small video camera, and sat it on the bar. It didn't look like a camera, though, for it was concealed in a small box, with a barely noticeable hole in it. He had to thank Bulma. Even if she could be a bitch, she was very nifty when it came to things such as technology. To a regular passerby, it might just look like a box for a ring. 

This little black box hadn't been part of Chi-Chi's plan, in fact, it didn't really have any significance in the entire plan at all. However, Piccolo thought it was a nice touch. It would be a little souvenir from this whole thing. A memento, you might say. And as a plus, some nice blackmail. Call it what you will, Piccolo just knew that it would be something he had to have on film, and he was determined to get the whole thing. He opened the box only a little, his forefinger sliding into it and depressing a small red button that he could not see. He saw a small red light turn on inside, and then closed the box again, keeping it close to his outer arm as it rested on the table, hand entwined around his glass.

_'This is gonna be great.'_ Piccolo allowed himself to turn his head a bit in the coach's direction, as if studying some of the various bottles of fine alcohols in that direction, yet his sunglasses hid his eyes, whose gaze were upon the coach, and also the two women approaching him from behind. Some very awkward women. 

Goku walked along side Vegeta, feeling very strange and nervous. Yet somehow, he managed to mask these emotions, as he adverted his thoughts and concentration to walking; A task that was made difficult by the high-heels he was wearing. Already he had almost lost his feet (numerous times) and was being very catious to keep his balance. He managed to make the trip flawlessly from their table to the bar, where coach Titebutte sat. The man was oblivious to them, or seemed to be, as he studied the choices of beverages before him. 

Standing behind him now, Vegeta looked at Goku, giving him a nudge with his elbow sharply. Goku nudged him back and pointed at him, then to the coach. Vegeta shook his head furiously, pointing at Goku feircely. Goku sighed quietly and adjusted his skirt in preperation, then tapped the man lightly on the shoulder, holding his breath.

As Titebutte turned, Goku forced his painted lips to stretch into a smile, hoping that Titebutte wouldn't somehow recognize him. Titebutte blinked slightly as he took in the 'woman' before him, giving him a sweeping up and down glance. He also realized Vegeta there, and gave him the same treatment. "Well," Titebutte started, quite breathlessly, "Hello."

Vegeta could feel his stomach churn in disgust. It reminded him of how he had felt when he had been forced into this whole get-up in the first place. He chringed at the memory.

_FLASHBACK_

"YOU ARE NOT GETTING ME INTO THAT THING!" Vegeta declared in rage, as Bulma approached him, holding the blue dress temptingly in front of him.

"Aw," She pouted slightly and dropped the dress to a one-hand-hold at her side, stepping closer to him. He felt his back touch the wall as he stepped back again to increase the distance of him and the horrid rag, and realized with dread he was cornered. "If you do, I promise we'll do something fun..." Vegeta felt his face run hot as Bulma winked at him, putting her free hand on his chest.

"I am not a woman! You can be the one that does this--you and Kakarot's girl! Why do the MEN have to do this!?" 

"Because," Bulma said, with a firm knitting of her brows, "It's _your_ coach, and therefore _you_ get to do the dirty work!" Vegeta saw no logic to this reason what so ever, and began to argue, but stumbled over his words and ended up bursting out, "WHY CAN'T GREEN BEAN DO IT THEN!?"

Bulma's eyelids dropped half over her eyes as she looked at Vegeta, sweatdropping. "How many GREEN women do you see walking around in bars?" 

"I don't make a good looking woman anyways," Vegeta changed the subject off of Piccolo, for in the corner of his eye Vegeta could see Piccolo looking severely annoyed at his name being brought up into the subject. "I'm sure you girls would attract him. Unless he likes muscular women." Vegeta cringed at the thought. Sure, a little muscle was fine, but for a woman to be buldging with them like he was would be a wrong sight to him. 

Strangely, Bulma grinned. This wasn't the reaction Vegeta had expected. He thought she was going to blow up at him or something. However, she was grinning. Grinning a very strange grin. 

"That's just the thing." Bulma stated grimly, still grinning. Vegeta blinked as she held up three magazines in the blink of an eye. The picture he met face-to-body and face with was that of a very extremely muscular man. He then realized that the man was wearing a bikini top to match his speedo bottoms, the trangles stretched taughtly over the man's broad chest. The next realization that came to Vegeta, was that this wasn't a man at all. But it was a woman.

Vegeta recoiled away from the front-page image with something that sounded like a yelp. He fell back, loosing his balance, and lie in stunned disgust. He soon roused, howerver, and sat up spinning his gaze to Bulma. "WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET THOSE!?" Yes, "those," for it could not be a "that," since there were mulitple magazines in Bulma's grasp.

This is where Bulma's grin turned into a smug look that screamed "Smartass." 

"Well?" Vegeta asked.

"Coach Titebutte's car." That was it. That's the smartass answer to why he, a well-fit, muscular MAN, had to dress up like a woman so he looked like a female body builder, because THAT was the kind of woman Titebutte liked. He trembled with disgust.

(**A/N:** No offense to any body builders.)

Before Vegeta could inquire how Bulma had gotten into the coach's car in the first place, she advanced on him, "So, you see now. You're the perfect girl for the job." She put an emphasis on girl, which Vegeta found quite evil of her, and smirked, sitting down upon his lap on the ground, holding up the dress again as her smirk broadened.

(**A/N:** I'm sure you are curious about how Bulma got into his car. No, you perverts, she just saw the name "TITEBUTTE" inscribed on the lisence plate, and noticed the window was wide open. She had looked inside to see them lying across the front seat. Taking them had been simple. )

"But--"

"BUT NOTHING! YOU'RE DOING IT WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!"

_END FLASHBACK_

What toruture it had been; The dress being forced onto him, as well as the two melons in a bra he had been forced to wear as well; (**A/N:** Hey, they did it in Mulan! I just watched that movie a little while ago and got the idea. ^.^;) The application of the make-up (which he had struggled through the entire time, but an amused Piccolo had sealed his fate by holding him down for the girls to continue their work) which was so thick he felt as if he were truly wearing a mask; The high-heels had been hell to put on, not to mention WALK in; And the wig! Don't speak of it! There had been no way to keep on the wig unless they tied it on, which had ended up happening, and now the clear thread borthered his neck, and he was sure that Goku was annoyed by it as well. (Both he and Goku had too unruly of hair to have a wig keep down their hair on it's own.)

Vegeta's wig was so curly it could have been called an afro. The brown-copperish color of it seemed almost red in the dim light of the bar, and the light blue dress assentuated the hair-doo quite well. All the thick make-up made him look like some kind of hammered hooker. Goku looked similar, but he was a blonde. They looked like female body builders, with their broad chests, strong arms, and few curves. 

To a mixture of Vegeta's disgust and relief, (for it showed the plan was working, so far) Titebutte was obviously entranced. Goku seemed more nervous then ever, though the coach seemed to take no heed.

"May I buy you a drink, ladies?" Titebutte asked, still staring at them with a weird look of happiness on his face. This scared Goku even more. Titebutte, SMILING?! As hard as it was for him to comprehend, he managed to not show his shock.

"Yes, please." Vegeta said, then realized his voice was way too deep to sound feminine. He cleared his throat and spoke again, this time his voice in a higher pitch. "Er, yes please." Goku tried not to laugh as he sat down on one side of Titebutte, Vegeta on the other.

"So," Titebutte steered the conversation, "What are your names?"

Goku and Vegeta froze, looking at each other across the coach. "I'm..." Goku started in a high pitched tone, irregular from his usual, "Go...ku..na...Ehehehe, yeah, Gokuna." Titebutte nodded, seeming satisfied, and looked to Vegeta. "Er, I'm...Ve..ga. Vega." He tried to smile, but he was sure it turned out odd. None the less, Titebutte seemed pleased. "I am Fredrick Titebutte. But, call me Fred. It is a pleasure to meet you both."

'_Fredrick?_' Vegeta thought, wanting to laugh a loud.

They just nodded, trying to make their smiles look natural. Fred nodded and turned to the bartender, Bob, who asked what they would take. As Chi-Chi had predeicted, he ordered a mild martini. Vegeta and Goku both settled for beer. 

Piccolo, who had been observing the entire scene in amusement, realized this was his que. He coughed loudly, wincing. Bob turned from his work, where he had been mixing the martini for Titebutte. Piccolo then gripped his chest, grimancing, and suddenly fell back, off of his bar stool. Bob blinked and rushed to the edge of the bar, leaning forward and peering over it. "Brother, are you 'aight?" 

Piccolo just lie gripping his chest, and twitched on the floor.

Titebutte, thankfully, didn't seem to recogize him as he watched in mild concern and wonder. Vegeta's eyes, however, weren't on the twitching Namekian. He saw the door to the kitchen open, and then watched as a girl with blue hair quickly exited and rushed to the lone martini. Goku watched too, as Bulma opened a small vile, and pour the contents into the drink. It was completely clear, and when she left again, the martini looked untouched.

_FLASHBACK_

"Are you sure this will get him drunk?" Chi-Chi asked, holding the small vile to the light to examine the clear water-looking substance.

"Positive. I created it myself. It's _very strong,_ and the effects will take hours to wear off. And, even after they do, he'll be knocked out for atleast 13 hours straight."

"How do you know? Have you tested it?"

"Well..." Bulma grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "Yes. I had actually created it before we had a plan to do all this, just for an experiment. I needed a human test subject, and well...I spiked Claire's beer because I was mad at her. She had been being a bitch all day."

"Oh, I see," Chi-Chi laughed, "Well, this is perfect for the job then. Thanks."

_END FLASHBACK_

Piccolo had been counting mentally as he spasmed randomly on the floor. After 15 seconds, he knew that the deed had been done and that the act could end. He coughed and sat up straight, rubbing his chest. "Damn," He coughed more, and stood up, a look of mild pain on his face. He shook his head and wiped his brow with the back of his hand. "Sorry about that." Piccolo sat down and lifted his empty glass to Bob. The dark man blinked at the sudden recovery, but decided a drink might do the green man some good after such a spell. He took it and filled it, then set it down in front of Piccolo, who (still looking a bit ruffled) gulped down the entire thing.

Bob laughed to himself as Piccolo seemed to feel better immediately, and returned to the martini. He began to stir it after adding another ingrediant, then picked it up, pausing for a moment. Piccolo watched though his shades, feeling his stomach turn. He felt as if his heart stopped beating as Bob lifted the drink to his fac,e giving it a curious sniff. Then he froze for a moment; Piccolo let out a silent sigh of relief as Bob seemed to recognize nothing new, turning to Titebutte. He delivered the drink, then poured the beers for Vegeta and Goku, then returned to work.

Vegeta watched Titebutte casually as he picked up his beer. Titebutte laughed a little, "Well, that was something else." He then brought the martini to his lips and tilted back his head, downing half of the drink. He set down the half-emptied glass, and immediately....hiccuped.

Goku blinked slightly, then looked across at Vegeta. Vegeta just watched Titebutte. The coach had a dazed smile upon his face, and stared blankly foreward. Vegeta cleared his throat some and took a drink of beer. "How's your drink?" He asked, remembering to keep his feminine tone. Titebutte looked at him, and Vegeta sweat dropped as his dazed smile turned into a crazed maniac-like grin. 

"It's FABULOUS!" Vegeta and Goku almost fell back from shock at the loud exclamaition. Titebutte laughed loudly, and grabbed his glass so roughly Vegeta thought it might break in his grasp. He swung it up to his mouth and gulped down the rest of the drink. Goku sweat dropped as he watched with wide eyes.

Titebutte jumped to his feet, facing the two with a smile of pure insanity. Goku had thought a regular smile was scary from his coach, but this one gave a new meaning of fear to Goku. Titebutte grabbed both of their arms, catching both by surprise, with an enexpectedly strong grip, even to the two saiyans. He then yanked them out of their seats, dragging the stunned men, disguised as women, toward the dance floor. 

This all happened so quickly Piccolo barely was able to turn the box in time to get it all on camera. He snickered inwardly as he watched the scene at a long side glance. Titebutte was acting crazy. He was attempting to swing both of them about, with little effect, since they were now aware and resisting with superior strength. However this resistance caused some wild fire to burn brighter within the coach, and he finally was able to force the two to dance with him. Piccolo grinned, '_Bulma must have put something STRONG in that martini._' He snickered loudly into his hand, unable to hold the laughter back.

Goku tried to act as if he was enjoying himself as he was swung about wildly. He was a bad actor though, and even worse when he was made to act while at the same time trying to stay on his feet; The high-heels sliding and slipping about wildly beneath him. He hoped the coach was to pass out soon--if he didn't soon he'd probably brake his neck in these shoes!

Vegeta semed very aggrivated at the whole situation, but the unfamiliar shoes were giving him the same trouble. He didn't bother to hide his annoyance. This didn't phase the coahc at all though, who was in a drunken state, eyes closed as he laughed heartily. Vegeta's eye twitched. 

Goku looked like he was getting motion sickness. Vegeta was very tempted to knock out the coach on his own, when suddenly, Titebutte stood erect, saluted them both, then passed out on the floor limply. 

"Finally," Vegeta growled, picking up the unconcious man with a grunt. The strange sight was watcvhed by many stunned bar-goers, as the muscular woman carried the full-grown man easily over her shoulder to his barstool, setting him down. He then looked to Goku, "Our jobs done, let's leave."

Piccolo grinned and picked up the box, which was still open and recording the entire scene, getting up from his seat. He walked to them, holding the box inconspiciously at his side. "Well, ladies, well done. You did your job well, even if you look...well...hideous." He burst out laughing, but remembered he was in a public place, and reduced the laughter to a faint snicker. Vegeta glared coldly at him as Goku pouted a little. "I didn't think I looked THAT bad..."

"I'd like to see how you would look in a get-up like this, Green Bean." Vegeta growled, then crossed his arms. "Can we leave now?"

"Yes, Ugly." Piccolo grinned as Vegeta's eyebrow twitches greatly, a vein in his forehead pulsing. Piccolo quickened his pace toward the door, Vegeta hot on his heels, going as fast as he could without making too much of a scene. 

Goku sighed and stood, picking u his purse. He brushed off his skirt, straightened his back, lifted his chin, and walked after them, shaking his head. "Men."

~*~

Well, that was fun! ^.^ Not trying to turn Vegeta or Goku gay period, I just thought that last part was funny and a nice chapter wrap-up. Hope you all enjoyed! Please review! Uhh..next chapter update is TBA. ^.^;; This next week is going to be really busy, so don't get your hopes up. 


	12. Worry

**

Disclaimer:

** Please see previous chapters. 

Sorry for the huge wait, but everyone seems pretty busy now a days, what with school nearing a close in a month or so, and I've been busy myself, as well as uninspired. I originally wrote most of this chapter months ago and kind of lost heart in it for some reason, and never got around to finishing it. Not to mention my mother found almost all of my High School story on my old computer, which scared the crap out of me, since my writing has been a secret. She's always nosey about what I do on the net, and I hate keeping stuff from her but she doesn't see things as I do. I know she wants to protect me, but I'd never do something stupid enough to be caught or something. She worries too much, God Bless her. ^.^; 

Anyways here is the chapter, and I hope you guys like it and let me know what you think. 

~*~

"Finally!" Vegeta said, relieved to have the horrible garment off of him. He stood bare chested, in spandex shorts and socks, holding the bra he had just removed. He looked at it in disgust and dropped it to the floor, where it joined the rest of the feminine clothing. He sighed in relief. The wig laid in scattered tangles in the heap of clothes at his feet. He shook his hair, which had sprung up in freedom as soon as the wig had been removed. Vegeta looked to Goku.

"I can't get it off!" Goku said, panicked. He was reached behind his back, trying to unclasp the bra, but his hands couldn't reach the hooks. He whined, walking in a circle as he tried every possible way of reaching over his back to get at the clasp. Vegeta just watched in a half-amused, half-disgusted way. To see Goku in a bra was very disturbing. However, it was also funny. He shook his head. What had he been reduced to?

Chi-Chi opened the door to answer Goku's cries for help. She blinked as she watched him, then walked in. He helped him get out of the contraption. Goku was very happy to get it off, and brought Chi-Chi into a tight thankful hug. She coughed. Vegeta pulled on his pants and his button-up shirt, walking out of the room as he buttoned it up. Goku and Chi-Chi followed, Goku hopping into some long shorts, a wifebeater sloppily pulled on over his upper body. Chi-Chi stopped him and adjusted it, straighetening out the wrinkles in a motherly fashion. Piccolo watched them, seated on the coach in a black long sleeved shirt and long semi-baggy khakis. He sweat dropped. Krillin sat in an orange shirt and black pants, next to 18. Her blonde hair rested softly on her shoulders which were adorned by a light blue shirt and long black skirt.

Bulma sat on the floor in front of the coffee table, math book spread before her. She scribbled furiously at a problem on her paper. Vegeta watched, almost able to see the saw dust her pencil was immiting with the combined force of speed and friction against the paper. He shook his head, sitting on the couch behind her, at Piccolo's side. "We already ditched classes," He informed her, "Why do your homework?"

Bulma stopped suddenly. Piccolo watched with half open eyes, surprised the paper hadn't caught fire. Bulma looked sharply at Vegeta, her blue hair snapping the side of her face as she jerked her head around to look around him. She glared. "Because, I care about my education, unlike you." Vegeta stayed silent until she resumed work, then looked at Piccolo and rolled his eyes. Piccolo brought his index finger to his temple, then moved it in a circular motion around that area to display his thoughts on Bulma's sanity. Vegeta smirked.

Piccolo yawned and stood, looking at his watch. It was 4:30P.M, Friday afternoon. Football would still be going on if they had not taken care of that previously. He smirked. Usually the practices lasted 4:00-6:30; Two hours of conditioning hell. He shook his head and stretched slightly, "Well, what is tha plan for tonight?"

Bulma didn't answer, still scribbing hopelessly upon her math paper. Goku and Chi-Chi looked clueless, and he ended up looking at Vetgeta, who shrugged. He closed his eyes, "Well, I know where I'm going. You guys go out and do something nice...I know you haven't been able to in a long time."

Goku opened his mouth to ask where he was going, but the first word was barely off his tongue as the front door shut firmly behind the Namek. Bulma raised her eyes from the math book and starred out the window, watching Piccolo fly off into the night sky from the front lawn of the frat. (They decided to only travel by flight in the night time, when no one would notice.)She frowned a little and looked at Vegeta. He gave her a look of reassurance. "Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be fine on his own."

Bulma narrowed her eyes, "Well I'm not. I don't think he'll be okay--he's still upset about Karina even though it doesn't seem like it that much right now, and what if he tries to--"

Vegeta cut her off, "He's not suicidal, Bulma."

"I wasn't going to say that," Bulma shot, "I was saying, what if he tries to find her--"

Vegeta cut her off again, this time his voice loud and somewhat angry, "You know he doesn't have a clue where the hell she is right now! You think he's going to just fly around searching aimlessly? He has brains, Bulma." He was about to say "And I thought you had brains, too," but decided that that would send her totally off the edge.

Bulma blinked slightly and looked down, nodding some, "I didn't think about that..."

"Besides," Goku spoke up, "If we did know where she was, we'd be going with Piccolo to help."

Krillin nodded and sighed softly. "I wish we did. When that guy called, he never said--"

"What guy?" Chi-Chi cut him off. Krillin blinked and covered his mouth with his hand. Everyone was looking at him now, and it seemed like everyone was angry. He looked at Goku and Vegeta appologetically, "Sorry, I forgot I wasn't supposed to tell them--"

"WHAT!?" All the women cut him off, and Krillin realized he was worse of now then he was five seconds ago.

Bulma turned to Vegeta sharply, as did Chi-Chi to Goku and 18 to Krillin; all at the same time. All the men leaned back uneasily under the angry glares. "Krillin," Vegeta hissed, "I'm going to kill you..."

Bulma stood and Vegeta looked up at her, lying back on the couch now, blinking. "And WHY did you decide not to tell us about something as important as this." 

"It's not that important, Vegeta started, looking uneasy, "You don't know the story, all it is was--"

"Yeah, it's not important," Krillin confirmed, cutting Vegeta off, "Just that guy who sent us the randsome letter called Piccolo, and--"

"WHAT!?" All the girls were on their feet, leaning over the three trembling men, fists clenched. Chi-Chi cried, "I WOULD CALL _THAT_ IMPORTANT!"

Vegeta and Goku both shot accusing looks at Krillin, who smiled nervously, "Oops."

"I am really going to kill you," Vegeta mumbled, eyebrow twitching.

~*~

Piccolo landed on the roof. He glanced down the side of the building, the neon sign hanging on the wall blinding him for an instant. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. Crowded. He mumbled and walked to the side parallel to the front. He looked down to see the dark alley behind Bob's quiet and lifeless. He jumped down and floated to his feet, landing on the gritty gravel. 

Walking between the neighboring building and Bob's, Piccolo walked to the front, joining the line of customers ready to enter. As he fished in his pocket for his fake I.D., he wondered just what Vegeta had done with the 'ol coach. He remembered watching Vegeta sit him on a bar stool. So, was he still there? Piccolo had seen, on the few occasions he had visited the lovely place, unconcious drunks, as well as concious ones, tossed out in the back alley. Surely they had done the same with Titebutte.

He finally reached the door, and showed the towering black man his I.D. and, as always, passed from the neon lighting from the crowded street into the dim, dull 30-watt-bulb lighting of the bar. His green skin didn't arouse any attention from the regular attendees, but some curious glances fell upon him from the new arrivals. He ignored them all and passed directly to the bar, where behind it sat Bob, cleaning his glass. He smiled at the Namekian.

"Hey, there, how ya doing? Better than last time we talked?" He asked warmly.

"Yeah, I suppose," Piccolo lied. 

"And that little act you pulled last time, that really had me going," Bob said, quietly.

Piccolo felt his muscles tense, "Act?"

"Sure, you remember," Bob said lightly, setting down the spotless glass before Piccolo, "When you fell on the floor in those spasms? While the girls behind me spiked the man's martini?" 

Piccolo felt unnerved by Bob's soft smile, yet he didn't show it. His body was tensed, but other than that, his face and stance was casual and calm. He wasn't going to let on, "Girls?" He asked, perking an eyeridge curiously, "I'm sorry, but I was sort of busy having a _seizure_ and didn't exactly get to pay attention to what was going on around me."

Bob laughed, slapping the bar top. "Ahh," He sighed contently once his laughter ended, "That's a good one, brotha'. Real good, gave me a nice laugh."

Piccolo didn't relax, "It wasn't a joke."

Bob shook his head knowingly, "Whatever you say, man. Either way, I don't mind. No real harm was done. Sure, the guy got a little supa'-buzz, but it ain't no big." Piccolo relaxed slightly, watching Bob's face. So, he wasn't in trouble then? He had been scared for a moment. He still was on the defensive, however, and said nothing in reply. 

Bob motioned to the clean glass before Piccolo invitingly, "So, would you like a drink, brotha'?"

~*~

After the entire phone call had been explained, the girls sat in silence. 

"And what's the worst of all," Vegeta finished, "All he said was shit about not going to the police and not saying a word to anyone. But we overheard the whole thing anyways. He didn't give a single hint of where she was or how to get her back. He just said, 'Wait, lie low, and keep quiet. Only then will I maybe start thinking about releasing her.'"

Chi-Chi frowned at the carpet. It was hard to grasp the fact that Karina was alone, trapped, somewere where no one couild help her, when only what seemed a little while ago, she had been at their side, laughing with her glowing smile...

~*~

Karina lay still. She could hear faint voices of the television. She hadn't seen the sun in an eternity. Even at night her eyes were blindfolded. Only when she was allowed to go to the bathroom, which was basically a hole in the ground in a tiny room in the corner, her blindfold was removed. As they led her to the bathroom, she could get a fruitless veiw of her surroundings. It was dark, damp, and cement everywhere. The walls, ceiling, and floor consisted of the dark, cracking gray plaster. She then was shut in the small room to do her buisness, the only privacy she was allowed. So far, however, they hadn't harmed her. She was fed regularly, of course not very good food, and was deprived of a comfortable bed, always tied. The bathroom was windowless, just as the rest of the larger exterior room, and she was sure it was underground. But where, she had no idea. Her wrists bled occasionally, from the tight, rough ropes binding her hands together. Her ankles weren't tied as often, but the marks were still visable from the times they did.

She felt numb most of the time. Her fear had left a long time ago. She had a feeling she was far far from home. They had moved her many times. Mostly in car trunks. She felt as if the world was watching, as if someone had to hav seen them deposit a human body in a car trunk, and had tried to scream out, but the gag made it just a muffled soft noise. Many times they had given her sleeping pills. She knew they did this when they were going to move her. Sometimes she would wake in a trunk only long enough to be moved to another, then would be forced to take more pills.

They never over dosed her. They never harmed her, besides the ropes. And even then, they had tended to the bleeding carefully and almost caringly. Karina never said thank you, or smiled, or showed any sign of emotion. They didn't deserve it. And she felt that if she did, they would be able to break her.

~*~

"And after he told us that, my friends heard anyways," Piccolo explained, a sly smirk clouding his already unnatural face. He had the empty glass in hand, but now it was not clean. There were traces of liquid still in it. "And I really didn't tell them, either," Piccolo said, proudly, "Ya see..." He slurred momentarily, then paused as if he forgot what he was talking about. He blinked a few times, then continued as if he had never stopped, "They gots real good ears...and theys isn't humans so that's why."

He chuckled then pushed his glass to Bob, "Another, eh?" Bob smiled and turned his back. He refilled the glass with his drink, and then took out a small bottle from his pocket, adding some of the contents to the concoction. He grinned and pocketed it again, turning back to Piccolo and handing him the glass. "Talkitive tonight, I see..." 

Bob refrianed from smirking.

~*~

"Piccolo's been gone for such a long time..." Bulma announced, a look of worry on her face. "What if he's hurt?"

Goku and Vegeta exchanged glances. They hoped he wasn't doing anything stupid, although they knew he already didn't know where to start. Vegeta looked away and cast his gaze out the window. Goku looked down at his knees. He was really bored, he admitted shamefully to himself, even though he was worried about Piccolo. All they had done was sat there and talked briefly between long, thoughtful, periods of silence.

"Maybe we should stop worrying," Goku said, speaking up again, "And get our minds off him. It doesn't help."

He looked at Chi-Chi carefully, hoping she wouldn't explode at the suggestion of not to worry. Afterall, that was Chi-Chi's driving force: worry. She looked like she was about to, so he quickly added, "I mean--I'm worried about him too, but he's smart!--a lot smarter than me or Vegeta are--" At this point Vegeta shot a glare at Goku. "--He wouldn't go and do something dumb..."

His innocent eyes lifted to Chi-Chi hopefully. She hated when he did this. His eyes were just so...cute. And geniune. She breathed out of her nose in a noisy huff, closing her eyes, "Okay, Okay, I beleive you..."

"Still..." Bulma looked back out the window momentarily, frowning softly. "I'm worried. I have a bad feeling."

Vegeta lifted a brow slightly, "What do you mean?"

Bulma shrugged uncertainly. She broke her own gaze with her reflection, which she had focused on for a few seconds in the glassy mirror-like window. Moving to Vegeta, she sat down beside him, and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder, her outer hand gripping his. He blinked a little looking down at her, and tightened the grip, softly. He kissed her forehead gently, "It'll be okay. Don't worry." Her blue eyes lifted to him, and he met her gaze, a small, reassuring smile on his lips. Bulma smiled weakly.

Goku watched them, silently. He looked at Chi-Chi, and took her hand, leading her to sit beside him, He put one arm around her, looking forward thoughtfully and recollectively. He knew Bulma having a bad feeling was pretty silly, but the truth was, he felt the same way. The tension was the same as when he had first discovered Chi-Chi gone that one night after he had sobered up at the resort. He rubbed Chi-Chi's arm gently, not looking at her, failing to see her puzzled look.

Goku sighed some, "I know you're worried, Bulma." Bulma lifted her eyes to Goku, head still rested on Vegeta's shoulder, as he continued, "Butvhe can take care of himself. I suggest we get our minds off it for now and take his advice. I'm pretty sure he just want ssome time alone."

Silence fell upon the room as Goku stopped speaking. Bulma looked thoughtful, frowning. Chi-Chi furrowed her brows in thought as well, looking at Goku. Vegeta remianed silent, as did 18 and Krillin, who sat upon another couch.

"Sounds good to me," Vegeta said, finally.

Krillin thought him rather brave, and expected one of the girls to blow up at any moment. However, the livingroom did not become ground zero, as both Chi-Chi and Bulma nodded numbly. Krillin looked to 18, who did not nod, but stood and looked back at him. He stood as well, and the others slowly did the same.

"Where should we go?" Bulma asked, trying to lighten her voice and make it sound normal. She sounded almost congested--as if all the recent mixed emotions had blocked her sinuses.

"Let's go get something to eat," Vegeta suggested, standing up after gently remcoing his shoulder from beneath Bulma's head. He took her hand and guided her to her feet, and the others followed in silent agreement.

As Goku walked out the door, he hoped by the end of the night he wouldn't feel his worry anymore. He wanted the thick uncomfortable feeling in his stomach to vanish. Though like usual, Goku's hunger ebbed away any other feeling occupying his stomach, and his mind, being almost only his stomach itself, lost thought of the worry as he now focused on food.

They cruised down the main road, trying to decide on a restraunt, the lights of the city flashing the reflection of the brilliant city lights upon the windows of Bulma's black, sleek car.

They soon decided an all-you-can eat buffet was satifying enough for everyone's tastes, not to mention the stomachs of the two saiyans. Soon the warmth of food and laughter pushed Piccolo and their worries to the backs of their minds. They all felt it, though, nawing at the back of their thoughts. Chi-Chi didn't try to hide the feeling, as others did.

Sitting by the window of the long table they were seated at, she turned her head and gazed frowning out at the stars. She spoke then, making everyone silent, the thought that had been persuaded almost completely out of their thoughts jumping out to the front row, "I hope Piccolo is okay..."


	13. Laptops, Laptops, Laptops

**Disclaimer:** I do not own DBZ.

Sorry...again. I know I haven't posted in over, what...two months? Well, the truth is I haven't felt the ambition to write, really. I've been very busy too. But now I felt I small refreshing WANT to write, and felt guilty for being, dead. As it says in my bio: Contrary to popular belief, I am alive; Anyways, enjoy the chapter.

* * *

Piccolo lifted the steaming cup to his lips, not responding at all as the burning liquid scalded his tongue. He felt so numb. He had hoped by ordering such a drink he might feel something. But even the incredibly hot liquid didn't tap his senses. He sighed and set it down, his hands moving to the keyboard of the laptop before him. His face was basked in the soft glow of the computers light as in the silence of the night, his fingers tapped at the keys. He pulled open his e-mail. He hadn't checked it in ages. 

His eyes scanned carelessly over the subject titles of the many e-mails piled in his inbox. "Junk, junk, junk, junk..." He softly mumbled under his breath, checking the selection box next to each worthless e-mail. Suddenly he froze, his eyes dialating in disbelief as his blood ran cold. "K-Karina?" He stuttered so quietly that even he himself didn't hear the uttered name, which glowed like a hot coal before his eyes on the computer screen. He quickly checked the address, half-hoping it would be a familiar one, one of console, a sympathy e-mail from a friend. The e-mail was foriegn. He didn't recognize the e-mail tag, nor the name. 

With a shaking hand, he led the cursor over the e-mail name and double clicked. As the screen loaded, a short e-mail formed before his eyes. He read, hungrily, yet fearfully. He didn't breathe. 

_Mr. Damioh, _

Nice to contact you again. We've decided it's about time to let you know we have the girl and that she is safe. Not by phone. In person. Come alone. If we even suspect anyone is with you or following you, they will be shot on sight. So don't even think of trying to drag someone behind you "innocently." We'll have eyes everywhere. Upon your arrival you will be searched thoroughly, so trying to bring weopons, a recording device, or camera will be futile. Not to mention dangerous for you and your girlfriend. Meet us at 11:30P.M. Friday night in the back ally at this address. Remember it. Oh, and enjoy the heat. 

An address laid plainly under the message. Quickly, Piccolo grabbed the pen from his pocket and wrote the address on the back of his hand. He searched for a signature. There was not one. He sighed and then clicked the "Inbox" button, vaguely wondering what the hell "enjoy the heat" meant. He supposed the weather lately HAD been pretty hot lately, but it wasn't the heat, it was really the humidity, and... 

Piccolo's eyes widened as the screen turned bright red a moment later. A hand waved ironically on the screen, and instictively he sharply shoved the laptop away from him. It was about five inches from the bushes lining the cafe's outdoor dining patio and black spiked fence before it exploded into flames. The shock of the blast threw Piccolo back in his chair, landing on his back still seated, now horizontally, in the chair, a yard or two away. He felt dazed, until a hot blaze washed over his chest and he gasped, sitting up straight and kicking his chair away. He panted then winced as he softly touched his wet chest. He looked down at the cup, which laid now upon his lap. He growled and gripped it tightly, throwing it hard into the wall, watching it burst into thousands of tiny shards of opalesant glass. 

He looked around the scene. It look like a small tornado had touseled everything around him. The tables were turned, chairs knocked back, and plates shattered on the ground. No one else had been seated outside with him. He sighed in relief and stood up. He looked at the hurridly written scratchy address on the back of his skin. He already knew it by heart, though. 

**723 South Black Street.**

He walked into the cafe, paid for his drink without a word about what had happened on the patio or that it was a mess, and walked out the door, shoving his hands into his pockets. He walked in silence, unaware of the stares of other passers at his green skin in the light of the moon. His cap was pulled on backwards, so his antennea went undiscovered. His mind was swimming...He needed to tell his friends about this as soon as he could. He turned sharply into an alley from the sidewalk. There in the privacy of the darkness, he took flight, and soared up and out of the buildings, over head into the blackness of the sky, the stars hidden by the lights of the city. 

He landed twenty minutes later on the frat house grass, the grass softly rippling below him as his feet neared and touched down on the ground. He walked inside. Jack sat on the couch, watching TV. No one else was in sight. "Hey," Piccolo said, and Jack looked at him momentarily to acknowledge his attention before looking back to the TV, "Do you know where Goku and them went?" 

Jack shrugged. "Out partying like everyone else, I suppose. I felt sick and decided to come back for a rest. The place was empty when I came home." Piccolo nodded softly and headed to the stairs. He stopped as Jack called to him, foot placed the first step, "Hey, can I borow your laptop?" 

"I don't have it anymore." 

"You don't? What did you do with it?" 

"It decided to explode." 

Piccolo walked up the stairs, Jack's dumbfounded silence settling through the room, the soft murmer of the TV the only thing breaking the silence. 

Goku and the others arrived home close to midnight after dropping off the girls at the sorority, and discovered Piccolo sitting on the edge of his bed, staring blankly forward. His eyes displayed the exhaustion he hid. Piccolo didn't ask where they had been. He began to inform them of the nights earlier events. They listened in complete silence. When Piccolo finished they all sat quietly in thought. Suddenly ideas, thoughts, and questions burst from them in a sudden wave, 

"Well, it will be dark! We'll be able to follow yu at a distance--he'll never know." 

"I bet he's bluffing. If we call the police and give them the address, they can take them by surprise before Friday! They can take 'em." 

"We could sneak in before Friday and get Karina on our own!" 

"How about we--" 

"Shut up," Piccolo silenced them all in an instant with his deadly calm voice. "I'm going to follow their instructions to the last period. Chances are they will only be posted at the address for that night only. It's not like that is where they are keeping Karina now. We aren't calling the police. I'm going alone. You will not follow me." 

"But Piccolo," Goku said meekly after the brief silence following Piccolo's words, "You can't believe what they say." 

"I can't trust anything they tell me. I can't believe anything they say. But it's the best chance I have of keeping Karina safe. And that's all I have." His eyes seemed to bore holes into the wall they gazed upon. 

"How the hell will we know what's going on if we cant comunnicate at all or don't follow you?" Vegeta asked angrily. 

"You won't. Not until I come home. Or until I don't." He said this with such a calm voice, shivers ran through their spines. 

"If you don't return within the hour, we're coming after you." Goku said. 

"No. I don't know how long the meeting will be. It might be longer than that. I won't risk getting Karina hurt. You'll stay right the hell where you are until I come back. If I don't come back before dawn, then you can start worrying. I'm going to sleep." As Piccolo said this, he knew it was a lie. He knew he wouldn't get any sleep that night. 

Monday came as a haze. After classes drawled to a close, Bulma, 18, and Chi-Chi were told of the e-mail and Piccolo's plans in the Frat livingroom, which was empty of anyone else. They frowned and fell into a frenzy of worry, pleading for piccolo not to go through with it. 18, on the othe hand, sat in a grim silence, her arms folded over her chest, eyes cast at the floor. Krillin gently put his hand over hers. She smiled a tiny bit, glancing at him. He smiled back softly. 

Bulma looked close to tears, "Don't go alone, Piccolo! You CAN'T!! You'll get hurt, I know it!" 

"I have a better chance of getting hurt if I don't go alone." Piccolo said firmly, not looking at her. 

Bulma was silent for a moment. Chi-Chi exploded, "But you can't trust them! They might ambush you the second you step into that alley!" 

"I'll just have to take that chance." Piccolo softly replied. 

"We need an alarm system," Bulma suddenly said. "If you get in trouble....So you can alert the guys. They can be posted far enough from the alley to not arouse suspicion, but the moment you sound the alarm they'll come in to the rescue." 

Piccolo was silent for a brief second. "They're going to search me. They'll find something like that. Besides if they come later Karina still might get hurt." 

Bulma grinned in the amazement of her genius, "That's why you only sound the alarm when you know for sure Karina is safe. Besides, we'll see that the boys come secretly. They wont be just bursting through the alley." 

"No," Piccolo growled, "There's too much of a chance of them seeing them and getting discovered. They will hurt her then." 

Bulma momentarily paused. "Piccolo, I have a feeling they will hurt her no matter what you do. They already have hurt her. It's better to take a chance to save her than a chance that you might miss the opportunity." 

Piccolo sighed. "I'll think about it." Wordlessly he arose from his seat and walked up the stairs. They heard the door to his room close. 

--- 

Tuesday night, Bulma and Vegeta found themselves alone for the first time in ages. They were in the backyard of the frat house. Goku was asleep on the couch in the livingroom, Krillin and 18 were at the serority, cleaning her room. Claire, who always looked for any reason she could to get rid of 18, had threatened to kick her out of the sorority if she didn't clean her room up. 18 wasn't scared of Claire, and at first ignored the warning, but when she began to smell a sickening moldy scent whenever she laid in bed, she decided it was about time to clean the place. Chi-Chi had gone to the grocery store to get a few things for the dinner she planned to make them all tomorrow night. Piccolo had said, "You shouldn't go alone this lat at night." Chi-Chi brushed him off with a wave of her hand, "Don't be so paranoid. I can defend myself." 

"Better to be paranoid than dead." 

Despite the slightly shaken look on her face, Chi-Chi assured them she would be alright, and left on her own, borrowing Bulma's car. Piccolo now was alone in his room again. He looked out the window which over looked the backyard. He blinked slighty as he spotted Bulma and Vegeta alone, seated on the green grass. They were looking at the sky. Piccolo smirked for the first time in ages. _'This should be interesting.'_

"We haven't been alone together in what seems to be ages," Bulma said softly. Her hand gently moved through the grass and covered his. Vegeta swallowed. 

"I know what you mean." 

"Do you?" Bulma scooted closer. 

"Er, yeah, we haven't had any time alone because we've always been hanging out with everyone. The frat livingroom is never empty, and you could say the same about either of our rooms." 

"I know..." Bulma said, then smirked slightly. "I've really missed it just being the two of us." She winked. 

Vegeta blinked a little, then finally caught on. He smirked and put his arm around her waist, drawing her closer, "It's nice to be with you alone.." 

"Shouldn't we grasp the moment?" Bulma leaned closer. 

"Sure, why not?" He chuckled and closed his eyes, leaning closer. 

Vegeta and Bulma's lips were barely an inch apart. They leaned closer. Closer. Closer... 

"BREAK IT UP!" Vegeta jerked and Bulma screamed in shock as a freezing wave of water washed over them. They both turned their heads sharply to see Piccolo, who stood leaning against the wall, spinning the garden hose in his hand, a devious smirk on his face. Vegeta's temple visibly throbbed in his head. Bulma growled low. Piccolo grinned and waved innocently, before dropping the hose and high-tailing it into the house. 

Piccolo burst through the livingroom laughing hysterically, Vegeta right on his tail. Goku snorted and sat up abruptly, blinking. "Huh? Who? What? Where? When? How?" He looked around in confusion, then blinked again as Bulma, growling and dripping wet, walked into the room. He tilted his head in blissful confusion and innocence. "Why are you all wet, Bulma?" 

Apparently Goku was deaf to the noises of upstairs, which consisted of Vegeta screaming madly, "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, GREEN BEAN! HOW DARE YOU SPRAY ME AND BULMA WITH A HOSE LIKE DOGS! GET BACK HERE!" accompanied by Piccolo laughing loudly, thundering running footsteps, and loud crashes. 

Bulma sweat dropped. "Don't worry about it, Goku." 

"Alright!" Goku exclaimed. He fell back on the couch again and was instantly asleep, snoring loudly. Bulma blinked and then fell over, leg twitching. 

--- 

Chi-Chi gathered all of her grocery bags in her arms. She walked out into the parkling lot, peering over the edge of her bags for her car. "Ugh, I can't even see..." 

"There she is." A deep voice said to the dark form. He motioned toward Chi-Chi, who stood still in the midst of the parking lot. "Why don't you...give her a hand." A large puff of smoke filled the car. 

"Yes, sir." The door opened, and the dark figure advanced torward her. 

"Excuse me, ma'am!" Chi-Chi jumped at the sudden call, alost dropping her bags. She lookd to see a young man jogging toward her. "Need help with those bags?" Chi-Chi sighed in relief. 

"Yes, please, it would be a great help." She shifted half of her load to him. "My car's right over there," She pointed with her hand. "Thanks so much for helping, I really needed it." She smiled appreciatively and the young man grinned and nodded. She led him to her car and dug out her keys from her purse. "Here, let me open the trunk." 

She unlocked the trunk of Bulma's car with her keys and pulled it open. Setting down her load she turned to him, "Thanks again, you're really sweet to help me-" 

Chi-Chi thought she had gone blind. Everything was black. Strong arms roughly lifted her into the air and she felt her back hit something hard, like she had been dropped. "No problem, miss," Said the same kind young man's voice, now twisted into a wicked laugh. "Thank you!" She heard a loud slam and suddenly felt clastophobic. She pulled at the cloth over her head and managed to pull it off. Everything was still black. Her breath quickened as she felt around in fear. The space was small and felt almost like it was carpeted. She couldn't sit up, she had to lie on her side. 

"The trunk! He put me in the trunk!" She pounded her fist loudly against the floor. Suddenly the engine of the car roared to life. "MY KEYS!" Se realized they had still been in the lock of the trunk. He was stealing her car. Chi-Chi suddenly was shot forward as the car quickly backed up. Her head collided roughly against the hood. Everything was still black. And now she was unconcious as well, as the car sped down the empty road. 

--- 

Wednesday morning Piccolo awoke and stretched. "Mmm..." He smirked and glanced at Vegeta, who lay snoring in his bed. _'Heh, yesterday night was the first time that I've laughed that hard in months.'_ He chuckled at the memory which had taken place only hours ago. 

_FLASH_

Piccolo ran as fast as he could down the hall, trying not to laugh, but the laughs just kept coming. Vegeta was hot on his tail, growling loudly and shouting promises to hurt him. Piccolo suddenly turned, shooting into an open door. Vegeta blinked as he ran past, then spun around wildly, running in. He blinked again, looking around the room in confusion. Piccolo wasn't in sight. He growled slightly. "I know you're in here." His eyes shifted about crazily. 

Piccolo stood in the closet, both hands pressed tightly over his mouth to keep from laughing. "COME OUT, NOW!" Vegeta yelled. He suddenly noticed the closet door ajar. He quietly walked closer, smirking. "Oh where, oh where could the green bean be...HA!" He jumped into the closet, blindly grabbing for Piccolo. The doors shut. Piccolo had slipped out as soon as Vegeta had jumped in. He leaned against the doors, howling with laughter as Vegeta hollered in rage, pounding his fists on the doors to try and get out. 

Piccolo had finally let him out thirty minutes later. Vegeta had been burned out that time and merely glared coldly at him as he passed. He followed him, snickering. 

_FLASH_

_'Ahh..that was great,'_ Piccolo grinned and walked out of the room after getting dressed. He glanced at the time as he put his wrist watch on. He sighed a bit, the grin slowly disappearing from his face as he walked down the stairs. _'Guess I better tell dad about the laptop...He won't be happy, but I need to get a new one for classes...Good thing I had all my notes on a back up disc or I'd be screwed...'_ Piccolo walked into the frat livingroom, which was empty so early in the morning. He picked up the portable phone and turned it on, dialing the private number in without hesitation. Though he rarely called his father, he had the number memorized easily. 

"Hello?" 

"Hey dad." 

A small pause was followed by, "What do you want?" 

"I'm fine, and you?" 

"Very funny. Why did you call?" 

"Well..." Piccolo rubbed the back of his neck, "I hate to have to ask you for this...again...but-" 

"Again? Great...what do you need now?" 

"Hey, stop being so accusing!" 

"Well, I know you need something. That's all you ever need when you call, is something. Money, a car, name it, daddy's the one to call, eh?" 

There was a long silence. "Atleast I call. If I didn't I would never hear from you in my lifetime. And a lot of the time when I call it's just to talk and see how it's going, but even then you don't want to talk and just ask "what do you want?" Did it ever occur to you that I might like hearing from my father some damn time?" 

A long sigh came from the other end of the line. "Sorry, I'm just stressed. As usual, eh? Anyway, name it and you got it." 

Piccolo mumbled softly. "I broke my laptop." 

"What did you say?" 

Piccolo spoke louder. "I broke my laptop...I need a new one for classes." 

"WHAT!?" His father's voice was incredelous. 

"I BROKE MY LAPTOP," Piccolo screamed, "Damn, dad, you're going deaf." 

"I HEARD YOU JUST FINE!" Mr. Damioh bellowed. Piccolo winced and held the phone from his ear, having no trouble hearing every word at the distance as his father yelled, "BROKE YOUR LAPTOP!? AGAIN!? WHAT IS THAT, THE SIXTH ONE!?!" 

Piccolo put the phone back to his ear and said quickly, "Well, yeah, you see, it kind of...blew up." He quickly held the phone at arms length. 

"BLEW UP!? YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT BULL!? LAPTOPS DON'T JUST GO AND DECIDE TO BLOW UP OUT OF NO WHERE! THAT'S ABOUT AS BELIEVEABLE AS THE _FRISBEE_ STORY!" Piccolo looked up. 

_FLASH_

"Vegeta, go long!" Goku weighed the laptop in one hand then gripped it, grinning as he then threw it, spinning wildly, toward Vegeta, who was running in the opposite direction. 

"I GOT IT! I GOT IT! I GOT-" BAM! 

"Oops. SORRY VEGETA! You okay buddy? Vegeta? Uhhh....Vegeta?" 

Piccolo ran outside. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO!?" 

Goku quickly pointed to Vegeta, who lay unconcious on the ground, next to the shattered peices of the laptop, "IT WAS HIS IDEA!" 

_FLASH_ Piccolo had his hand over his eyes. "Ugh, yeah...well....my friends aren't...the brightest." 

"Or," Mr Damioh raved, "The _"seeing-if-it-can-float throey?"_" _FLASH_ "Drop it." 

"You drop it." 

"Fine, I'll drop it." 

Vegeta and Goku snickered. Vegeta held out Piccolo's labtop over the bathtub. 

"Drop it!" Goku urged. 

"If it sinks, I get five bucks!" Vegeta reminded. 

"I know, I know. Drop it!" 

Piccolo pulled the door open, and was blinded by sparks as Vegeta and Goku clung to each other, screaming like little girls. 

_FLASH_

"Like I said," Piccolo sweatdropped, "My friends are retarded. They like to test their stupid theories which to most people is common sense." 

"Or testing it's durability!?" 

_FLASH_

"I wonder how far it can fall untill it breaks..." Goku wondered, holding Piccolo's laptop in his hands. 

"I don't think I want to find out..." Piccolo groaned. 

"Let's go drop it from the roof! Remember that one computer commercial? They dropped it from a house roof and it didn't break!" Vegeta said. 

"Yeah!" Goku was already flying to the roof. Vegeta quickly followed. 

"WAIT! Our house is TWO stories! YOU IDIOTS! NO DON'T--" 

BAM 

_FLASH_

"Now that was influenced by the dumb commercial-" Piccolo tried to explain. 

"OH! Oh! Then there was that time it was backed over with a car!?" 

"Hurry up, Piccolo!" 

"I'm coming, I'm coming! Oh crap, let me get something!" He set down his laptop on the driveway and dashed into the house. 

Vegeta shook his head and looked over his shoulder, sticking his arm out the window, his other hand on the steering wheel. He began backing out. 

Piccolo ran back outside, "Got it!" His eyes widened, "WAIT! STOP!!" 

Crunch. 

_FLASH_

"Hey, okay, leaving it there in the driveway asn't the smartest idea, but how did I know he was going to start backing up!?" 

"AND THEN THOSE IDIOTS THINK THAT THERE MIGHT BE THE POSSIBLITY THAT IT'S WATERPROOF AFTER THE FIRST WATER INCIDENT!" 

_FLASH_

"But guys, if the first one didn't float and almost electricuted you, this one won't be!" Piccolo growled. 

"This is a different one though! And look, it has WXP on it! That's gotta stand for something like "Water extra proof!"" 

"I don't think so. It didn't float!" 

"Ah!" goku said, lifting a finger pointfully, "But is it _waterproof?_" 

"No, obviously not." 

"Drop it in the pool and see!" Vegeta said. 

"NO!" 

"Okay!" 

"NO!!!" 

BBBBBZZZZZTTTTT. 

_FLASH_

"Hey, I TOLD THEM NOT TO!" 

"AND NOW YOU CLAIM IT EXPLODED!? 

"IT DID! It was like some freak virus or something-" 

"LOOK, I am _not_ going to buy you another laptop if all you're going to do is break it!" 

"I won't this time!" Piccolo promised, "I swear! Please! I _need_ it for class. Come on dad!" 

There was a pause. "Then you have to promise me that you won't ever let your friends touch it again. Undertood?" 

"They won't lay a hand on it, I swear!" 

"Fine. It will be in the mail tomorrow." 

"I love you, daddy." Piccolo tried not to laugh. 

"Oh, shut up. And don't call me daddy." 

"Seriously, I love you, Dad." 

"...I love you too, son." 

There was an akward silence. "Er, yeah..so...talk to you later." 

"Uh, yeah...later...bye." 

Piccolo hung up. He sighed. _'Well, that was interesting.'_ He blinked as the phone sprang to life in his hand, ringing loudly. He picked it up, "Hello?" 

It was Bulma. "Piccolo, Chi-Chi never came home last night! I'm scared...where could she have gone?" 

An icy chill shot down Piccolo's spine. Goku snorted noisily from the couch and sat up rubbing his eyes. "Good morning..." He yawned and stretched. Looking around he blinked. 

"Where did everyone else go? It's morning already?" Piccolo swallowed and looked at him, Bulma still going off on the line. 

"I'm scared! Piccolo, where could she be!? We have to go look for her!" 

Goku looked at Piccolo, tilting his head. 

"Did Chi-Chi get home okay?"

* * *

Hehe....suspence. Review please! 


	14. Will it ever end?

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own anything after over two years or something of writing fanfiction...SO BACK OFF, LAWYERS!

Hey yall! I'm going to be trying to update more frequently. I am more in a writing mood. I think a lot of my regular reviewers died...but who knows. .; Anyways, enjoy the chapter! This one goes out to Sarah. You are a mama! (in a good way!) Over. (Homes Depot LOL!)

Ahem. ON WITH THE FIC!

---

Wednesday was spent searching high and low for Chi-Chi. Shadows of dread and worry loomed on Goku's face. As Piccolo studied his face, he realized that Goku reminded him of himself. The same shadows dwelled on his face ever since Karina had gone missing. Piccolo swallowed. The hollow pit in his stomach was always there. But now, he felt it with new vigor. He felt almost as if it had been his fault for Chi-Chi's disappearance. He knew it had been the same men who had taken Karina. But what reason did they have? _'To cause more suffering..'_ Piccolo thought in silence. _'Those sick bastards.'_ Piccolo growled and stopped at a stop sign. He was with Bulma and Vegeta. Goku had gone with 18 and Krillin. They had all split up (Piccolo's group to the south end of town, and Goku's to the north) to search and didn't want to let the other girls out of sight.

It wasn't that they didn't trust Krillin or Vegeta to take care of their women alone, since they could of split into three groups instead of two (Goku and Piccolo, Krillin and 18, and Vegeta and Bulma.). Well, Krillin maybe. But they knew Vegeta could handle anything fairly easily. But they didn't want to take any chances. Besides, two pairs of eyes were better than one.

"This is pointless.." Piccolo growled after slamming the door shut and starting the car in the Happy Basket Southern Grocery Store parking lot. "Why are we searching the grocery stores? Sure she went to one, but it's way too damn late to catch the guy now."

Bulma sighed, "Well what are we supposed to do? We've been keeping an eye open for her car, well, _my_ car, but so far no luck. There isn't much we can do.."

"Well maybe we should just give up." Piccolo said simply. He drove out of the parking lot. The car buzzed with silence.

Bulma suddenly growled, "If it had been Karina who was abducted _just last night_ you wouldn't even think about saying "let's just give up." You would be searching like mad no matter how slim the chances were!"

Piccolo felt a painful twinge shoot through him, as if someone had tugged on a heartstring. "Okay, okay.." He said softly. "Sorry." He watched the stoplight go green and took a left turn. "We have one more store to check. I guess we can maybe find some clue about where she might of gone if we search well like we did the others."

---

"Find anything?" Krillin called, standing on the heated black asphalt of the parking lot. Goku shook his head from the other end.

18 shrugged and called, "Nothing over here."

"Guess that's it..." Krillin sighed and headed toward the car. 18 followed. Goku frowned softly. He walked slowly back toward the car. He felt like he had been in slow motion from the moment Piccolo told him Chi-Chi had never returned last night. He remembered that he had been mad at first.

_FLASH_

"She didn't come back!?" Goku said, looking at Piccolo, his face panic-stricken, "Why didn't you wake me up!?"

"Hell, I didn't know!" Piccolo growled, holding his hands up. "Bulma just called and said, "Chi-Chi never came back last night." Blame her, not me!"

Goku growled softly, "So all of you just went to bed and didn't even wait for her to get back!? Give me the phone, I'm calling Bulma."

"Hey, I was expecting her to go home to the sorority when she was done shopping, not here, anyway."

Goku didn't pay attention, quickly dialing the number to the sorority house. Another girl answered. "Is Bulma there?" Goku asked impatiently. "Good, get her on the phone. This is Goku."

A pause. "BULMA, why the hell didn't you call me as soon as Chi-Chi didn't show up after a while?!"

He listened. "YOU WENT TO BED!? Chi-Chi hadn't even gotten home yet and you were sleeping!? Why didn't you wait until she got home?!"

Goku looked like he had just been slugged in the face with a bag of bricks. "I-I...I didn't think..." His anger flared. Piccolo blinked and stepped back, feeling Goku's power level surge. "HEY I WENT TO SLEEP RIGHT AFTER SHE LEFT! I HAD NO CLUE SHE WOULDN'T COME BACK! AND NO ONE EVEN THINKS TO WAKE ME UP BEFORE THEY RUN OFF TO BED! YOU ALL ARE IDIOTS!"

He slammed the phone down. Glaring at Piccolo, he pointed his finger, "YOU SHOULD OF WOKEN ME UP!"

Piccolo growled and grabbed Goku by the shirt, "CALM DOWN! if I had any clue that she wasn't coming home, I would of. But you looked like you were having a good dream, and I assumed you would wake up eventually on your own. It's not anybody's fault that she didn't come home except for whoever took her. So maybe you should stop blaming us, and start looking for an answer." He threw Goku back, releasing his shirt, growling softly. Goku stumbled back, looking dazed. He felt like he was in a dream. Everything seemed to slow with every beat of his heart. He sat back on the couch, staring numbly at the wall.

"Chi-Chi..." This reminded him of when Chi-Chi had been kidnapped by that psychotic Silvia bitch. Only now, he didn't feel an impending sense of doom and danger surging through his veins. Yet. He felt weighed down, shocked, and disbelieving. He swallowed and lifted his eyes to Piccolo, now devoid of anger, but stricken with sadness. "We have to find her, Piccolo."

_FLASH_

Goku swallowed roughly as he put his hand on the handle of the car door. He glanced to the side as he pulled it open, then looked into the car about to get in. Suddenly, something registered. He did a double take and looked back to where his eyes had traveled a moment before. There, sitting alone on the pavement was a small black purse. Then it clicked. He had seen that purse before.

He took off toward it, leaving the back door to Krillin's crappy beat up little Del Sol (**A/N:** I do not own that brand name) and Krillin and 18 blinked, looking back over their shoulders curiously to see what he was doing. He scooped the purse into his hand. Definitely Chi-Chi's. It even had her mini frying pan which she used for defense inside. He looked around hopelessly for clues, anything that may of given him a hint of where she was...

Nothing.

Goku sighed. All he had was that she was abducted in this parking lot. Nothing else. He wished he could sense her. He remembered last time when she had vanished, he could feel where she had been, and had been able to save her. But now he felt nothing but numbness. He couldn't save her this time.

---

Chi-Chi struggled madly to free herself from the ropes that bound her ankles and wrists. _'Those bastards! Tie me up then throw me in a different trunk, then leave me here, will they? Wait till I get my hands on them...'_ Though the struggling only seemed to make the ropes even more uncomfortable, rubbing and burning her skin, she still fought to get free madly. There was a heavy metal bat in the trunk with her. _'Ha! Those idiots...When I get free, I'll hold the bat ready, and when they open the trunk...BAM! Lights out.'_ She smirked. They'd never know what hit 'em.

Thirty minutes later she lay, panting and still. "What the hell are these ropes made of!?" She finally screamed in frustration. She had gotten no where. She blinked as suddenly the trunk popped open, and was blinded by the light of the sun. At first she had hoped it was the police, or even for a moment Goku, Piccolo, anyone. But no. The dark man that her eyes finally focused upon was strange to her...yet at the same time, oddly familiar.

"The thickest, strongest strands of man-made fiber on earth." He said.

Chi-Chi blinked in confusion, and then it dawned on her that he had answered her frustraited question. "Oh." She said, blankly.

"Not that we worry about you escaping." He said, his deep voice rolling smoothly. "Come now, time to join your friend."

Chi-Chi tilted her head questioningly. The man easily lifted her out of the trunk, and she was surprised at his gentleness. He set her carefully on her feet, then dug in his pocket. He pulled out a pocket knife, flipped it open, and sliced the bonds on her ankles. He picked up the rope and looked at the red blood on it. "Well, I see you've been struggling." He glanced at her bleeding ankles. "At least you are tired now, and won't be troublesome." Chi-Chi growled slightly, but knew she was exhausted now. Her legs shook as he led her inside a plain looking brick building. They immediately descended stairs. Chi-Chi felt dizzy. She had struggled to hard. She slowly made her way down the steps. The man didn't push her to go faster.

Chi-Chi finally stepped onto even ground and the man pushed her softly to a door in the plain looking room. A battered fridge, TV, and couch seemed to be the only furniture inside. There were two doors. He led her to the one nearest the TV. The stairs descended straight into the room's corner. The man pulled the door open and wordlessly slashed the bonds on Chi-Chi's wrists, making her blink in surprise as her arms suddenly felt free, pushed her in, then shut the door. She heard the door click locked behind her. She rubbed her wrists, looking down as the blood smeared her hands.

"Chi-Chi?" A weak, surprised voice made Chi-Chi start. She looked into the shadows of the small room, her eyes widening in recognition.

"K-Karina!!"

---

"This is so pointless..." 18 yawned. She watched, bored, as Goku and Krillin, on hands and knees, closely inspected the parking lot pavement like dogs. She sighed and shook her head, sweat dropping. "I hope they don't get run over..."

She waved her hand toward her face. It was so hot...She mumbled and glanced across the street. Her attention perked as she noticed an ice cream store on the corner. "Hey guys, want some ice cream? I'm going to get some." They didn't seem to hear her. "...I suppose they are too absorbed in concentration to listen to the world around them." She rolled her eyes and walked right past them unnoticed, and stopped at the corner. She looked on as the walking sign changed from a red hand to a green walking figurine. 18 walked across the street on the crosswalk, then approached the ice cream store. She didn't notice the black car park next to the curb behind her.

---

"Karina!" Chi-Chi said in awe, as her thinner friend stood slowly on the other side of the room. Her hair was the same vibrant green. Chi-Chi trembled. That was the only bright thing about her. Her shocked face looked tired and worn, and even her always glistening eyes were dim. She was thin and looked slightly malnourished, her usual glowing skin pale and sun-deprived.

Suddenly tears glossed the eyes of the thin girl, and she trembled. "I'm s-so happy to see you...but they got you too...Oh no.."

Chi-Chi quickly went to Karina and wrapped her arms tightly around her in a hug. Karina clung to her. "Y-you're the first person I've t-touched in s-so long!" Karina sobbed. Chi-Chi held on to the boney, shaking form, feeling tears well up in her own eyes. "Oh, Karina..." She said softly, stroking her fine hair, noticing how unwashed and thin it was. "What have they done to you?"

---

Bulma stretched out and crossed her arms. She sighed as she leaned against the side of Piccolo's car. She had sat out this search, as Vegeta and Piccolo inspected the entire area of the grocery store, parking lot and all. Even the back ally. Bulma looked softly to the sky, frowning. She felt so alone...Where could Chi-Chi have gone? Why did they take her, too? She closed her eyes.

Piccolo mumbled and pulled open the dumpster lid, looking inside. "Nope."

Vegeta rolled his eyes, "What, you think they'd dump her in there?"

"Hell, they might of killed her and dropped her body off in the gutters for all we know.." Piccolo said coldly, looking down.

Vegeta swallowed. "No...I don't think they killed her..."

Piccolo sighed and leaned back against the side of the large dumpster bin. "Think whatever you want. It doesn't change the fact that you don't know shit about anything they've done. Believe me, it only helps a little while to comfort yourself with reassurances." He growled softly and pushed himself up to a standing position. "She's not here. She's not anywhere. This search is fruitless, not to mention pointless. We are all dumb asses."

Vegeta raised his brows, "Aren't you the positive one."

Piccolo scoffed loudly, "I've never been positive, and neither have you. Besides, it's a proven fact that pessimists live longer."

Vegeta blinked then smirked, "Oh really? How interesting."

"Yeah," Piccolo smirked wryly, "While all the optimists are looking on the bright side, they don't see what's in the shadows till it jumps out and bites them in the ass."

They both burst into loud laughter. A black cat titled it's head, watching them from behind the dumpster. It walked out to Vegeta, who blinked and stopped laughing immediately. The cat sniffed him curiously, then rubbed, purring, against his legs.

"Do you think a black cat rubbing against you is an omen that you are screwed?" Vegeta looked to Piccolo.

"Hell if I know."

The cat purred loudly, then gave a sudden jerk, making a coughing noise. Vegeta blinked twice. The cat coughed deeply and began wheezing loudly. He and Piccolo nervously exchanged glances. Vegeta was pondering about kicking it away, when suddenly it gave a final, great loud hack, and a wet, slimy hairball flew from it's mouth onto Vegeta's right shoe, sticking like glue. "AWW, DAMN!" Vegeta exclaimed, kicking his foot to attempt to remove the disgusting hairball. The cat meowed happily.

"Aww, dude...That _cannot_ be a good sign." Piccolo snickered, trying not to laugh.

---

"Gah, there aren't any clues here," Krillin mumbled in defeat, standing up.

Goku sighed and nodded in agreement as he stood, still clutching Chi-Chi's purse.

"Let's go, 18, there's nothing here." Krillin called, then blinked as he looked about. 18 was no where in sight. "18?"

Goku blinked and looked around. Krillin's heart skipped a beat. "Oh, no..."

---

"Well, that was completely and utterly a waste of time," Piccolo concluded as they walked around to the front of the parking lot. "Except I laughed the hardest I have in months, besides the other night. Seeing that cat deem you as doomed with that oh mighty hairball was so funny I thought I'd wet myself.

Vegeta shook his head, mumbling, "You are easily amused. And anyway, that wasn't that much of a waste of time, at least we are covering more ground so we know for sure that we've checked out places. There isn't much else we can do, anyways."

Piccolo mumbled, "Still a waste of time."

"You really are pessimistic, aren't you?"

"Yep, and I'll outlive you all because of it."

"Heh."

They reached the car. "Where'd Bulma get to?" Piccolo asked, looking inside. She wasn't in the front or back seat.

"Probably ran into the store to get something. I'll get her." Vegeta took off into the store. About five minutes later he ran out to Piccolo, who bobbed his head to the music on the radio as he sat in the front seat, face flushed red and breath short.

"She's gone!"

---

18 stumbled into the small room, wincing as she rubbed her recently-freed wrists. She blinked, looking at Karina and Chi-Chi in shock.

"Oh my god, I was the next victim." She mumbled, staring at them in disbelief.

Karina and Chi-Chi looked at one another.

---

"LET ME GO!" Bulma screamed in rage, struggling as hard as she could in the grips of the suited men. "Do you know _who I am!?_ When I get out of this, I will sue you for every PENNY you have! You won't have a damn DIME left when I'm done with-"

"Ms. Briefs," A deep voice made her jump. She looked across the seat of the dark limousine to see a man, hands folded over his lap calmly, looking at her. "Before you start making accusations and threats, it might be wise to know who you are dealing with, and also the fact that you will even "get out of this." So for now, if you want a chance of surviving, it would be most wise to shut the hell up and enjoy the ride."

Bulma fell silent.

---

I'm gonna stop there! Muahaha! Suspense! Review please! It gives me inspiration. Thanks!


	15. The Beginning of the End

**Disclaimer:** See previous chapters. 

HEY GUYS! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!? Thanks everyone for your support...negative, and positive. Ahem. Sorry about that little "WHAZUP" spell. How's it hangin'? Sorry for another HUGE wait, but that's to be expected with me. ;;;; Anyways school started here, BAHHH! I hate it so. Well, thanks again for your reviews, and just to clear it up, I'm not racist. Enjoy the chapter! 

--- (**BAH! I hate that FanFiction won't let me use my little wavy lines or stars...-Sniffles-**) 

Bulma almost fell on her face as she was shoved into the room. She winced as she gained her balance and caught herself from hitting the ground. She sighed and trailed her hands over the marks of where the ropes had bound her wrists together, looking down at them, frowning. She lifted her gaze, which was met with three shocked stares. They first met with the sapphire blue eyes, before it trembled and broke, immediately coming to meet such dark eyes that they could be called black, and finally tore away and met almost luminescent green orbs. 

The four girls stared at each other in disbelief. They had all been spread out, and now in only hours, were all together in the same room, eyes locked on one another, mouths agape. Chi-Chi finally broke the silence, adding a faint, saddened smile, "At least...we're all together now.." 

The girls suddenly burst into tears as they rushed to each other, clinging to one another in a large group embrace. Even 18 couldn't hold back her tears. She didn't feel scared, but was happy. It had been so long since the four had been together, just the four of them. Funny how such a happy moment took place in such a small, dreary, dark room. 

--- 

"What the hell are we going to do?!" Vegeta growled. The four distraught men sat in a circle on the floor. They had all returned to the frat after communicating on cell phones. It was about midnight. It hadn't taken long to conclude the fates of the other three girls. Krillin trembled softly. Goku felt numb. Vegeta was shaking with rage. Piccolo watched the three of them, realizing he had gone through every single phase that they were in. He almost laughed at the irony of it all, but not even a smile would come to his lips. 

No one answered Vegeta's question. He stood impatiently and began to pace the room, still clearly enraged. "We had two guys with every girl, and now both of them are missing, too. Right from beneath our noses!" He slammed his fist into the wall. When it collided a loud noise sounded through the entire house, a loud empty thud. Piccolo numbly thought how it reminded him of his heartbeats. Cracks erupted from the striking point beneath Vegeta's balled fist, spreading like a thin web over the wall. He removed his hand, looking slightly discharged. 

"What are we going to do..?" Vegeta repeated, though this time the proud prince's voice sounded as if it had been deflated of anger, and replaced with hopelessness. As he asked the question, he leaned back against the wall and sunk steadily down 'till he was seated on the floor, covering his face with both hands. Piccolo watched, knowing the position well. He closed his eyes. 

Suddenly the phone rand and broke the sad, uncomfortable silence. 

Happy for the interruption, Goku jumped to his feet to answer the phone. Piccolo glanced at the clock on the wall, a strange foreboding feeling rising within his chest as he wondered who the hell called this late. Goku picked up the receiver and held it to his ear, "Hello?" 

"Hello, is Piccolo Damioh there?" Said a deep voice on the other line, a trace of a smile laced within the tone. Piccolo's sensitive hearing caused his ear to twitch. He heard his name and felt frozen. 

"Who is this?" Goku asked, standing rigid. The others watched and listened in dead stillness. 

"A friend of Piccolo's. May I speak to him, please?" 

Before Goku had a chance to reply, Piccolo was standing next to him. The ice that had frozen him seconds ago melted away with his rage. He snatched the phone from him and held it to his ear, seething, "Hello?" 

"Mr. Damoih...I had a feeling I could catch you up at this hour. Call it a hunch. I hope you enjoyed your e-mail." Piccolo's skin crawled at the grinning voice. 

"You." Piccolo snarled. 

"Yes, me. I'm flattered that you remember me." 

"How could I forget? What have you done with the other girls?!" 

"Oh, don't worry about them. They are enjoying their reunion with their old friend. Your good friend, Karina. She's not alone anymore, Mr. Damioh." 

"You act like that is supposed to comfort me. Well let me tell you something, you bastard, I won't rest until they are all free from you, and living regular lives. 

He heard the man chuckle and click his tongue. "Tisk, Tisk, Mr. Damoih. Do you think calling me names is good for their health?" 

Piccolo was silent. The tone of the man's voice was glowing with a sinister hint of a smile. "That's what I thought. Now, is our date still on for tomorrow night?" 

"You bet it is." 

"You haven't been a very good boy. I know your friends know about me. Didn't I tell you not to tell anyone? Why do you think I brought the other girls along for the party?" 

"I didn't tell them, they overheard." 

"Either way, they know too much. And you can relay the message that they better stay the hell out of the business between you and I if they ever want to see their pretty little girls again. Understood?" 

"Yes..." Piccolo murmured. 

"If I so much as see one of them there tomorrow night, their girls won't be in a good predicament at all." 

"I understand." 

"Good. Just wanted to clear that up. See you tomorrow, and remember, no friends, weapons, cameras, or recording devices. Have a wonderful night, Mr. Damoih." 

Piccolo hung up before he heard the click ending the connection on the other end of the line. He sighed and sat heavily down again. The others sat silently as he relayed what had been said. 

Vegeta was outraged. "IT TURNED INTO ALL OF OUR DAMN BUISNESS WHEN HE KIDNAPPED BULMA AND THE OTHER GIRLS!" 

Krillin said softly, "It was always our business, even when he first took Karina." 

"I don't care," Goku said meekly, "We can't go. They'll hurt them." 

"I won't stand for this bull," Vegeta snarled, fists clenched. "I want to go tomorrow--" 

"No," Piccolo growled. "Only I can go. It's too dangerous otherwise." 

"It's dangerous for you to go by yourself!" Vegeta argued. 

"DO YOU WANT ANYTHING TO HAPPEN TO BULMA!?" Piccolo suddenly exploded. Vegeta was silent. "That's what I thought. You can't go, or else something might happen to her, or the other girls." 

"Then we are still in the same mess as before." Vegeta growled. 

"All we can do is wait and then I will go alone." Piccolo said, mumbling. 

Goku's face suddenly lit up, "Wait...I have an idea." 

"Oh no..." Vegeta shook his head. "Kakarot, your ideas are stupid and useless. And...usually involve chickens..." He sweat dropped. 

"Not this one!" Goku pouted. "It's a good one..." 

"You better not even think about saying we should dress up like women again..." Vegeta warned, looking frightened and frightening all at the same time. 

"No way!" Goku said. "Pleeease, just hear me out!" 

"Well, let's hear it." Piccolo said. _'We must be really desperate...'_ Piccolo thought, a sweat drop sliding down his temple. 

--- 

Vegeta worked fretfully to unwind the tangle of wire in his hands. Finally he succeeded and placed the round, small speaker in his ear. He traced down the curly black spiral of wire with his fingers, pressing it against his neck and chest as he did so, removing all the slack. He stuffed the excess wire beneath his black sweater, and clipped a small microphone to his turtleneck. "Are you sure this is going to work?" He turned to Goku questioningly, trying to smooth the small bump of the wire between his chest and the fabric of his sweater. 

"Nope!" Goku replied, with an air of happy innocence, as if he were a small child, preparing to play a game. He pulled his black sweater on, which was almost identicle to Vageta's. Krillin sat on his bunk in the frat. bedroom, already decked out in all black clothing. He pulled at his collar uncomfortably, "Guys, this suit is getting really hot..." 

"Okay, okay," Goku said impatiently, as if annoyed that he was being rushed in his fun. He pulled on a black beanie over his hair with difficulty, finally managing to stuff it into the hat. "You wired yet, Krillin?" Goku asked as he set up his own device under his clothing. Krillin nodded. 

"Okay, we have to test them now." Goku said. "Let's all go into different rooms and then turn on your device." They agreed and walked out of the small, stuffy bedroom. Once spread out in various places around the house they turned on their equipment. They were silent. Goku checked the small box attached to his hip, seeing the red light peek back at him. He spoke clearly into his microphone, "Can you hear me? Over." 

"Yeah." Krillin replied first. 

"Loud and clear." 

"Good," Goku said happily. And don't forgot to use over at the end of your transmissions. Over." 

"Do we have to?" Vegeta asked, seeming incredibly annoyed at it. 

Goku's face was crossed with a stern pout, "YES! Over." 

"Righty-O. Over." Came Krillin's voice. 

"Don't say that again, Krillin." Vegeta said, seeming to sigh as he spoke. After a short pause he added, "...Over." 

"Okay, meet me in the living room. Over." Goku said. 

Minutes later they all sat on the couch. "We need to come up with code names now." Goku stated matter-of-factly. 

"What?!" Vegeta was incredulous. "Kakarot, this isn't an idiotic child's game. This is serious." 

"I AM serious!" Goku pouted. "You never know who could overhear our conversations through lost radio transmissions..." Goku's eyes shifted about once with suspicious gaze. Vegeta just sat, and Krillin chuckled nervously. 

"Who is going to know who the hell we are, Kakarot?" 

A brief silence followed the question. Then Goku said, "They'll find out who we are sooner or later. You can't trust people you don't know!" 

Vegeta sighed at the hopelessness of the situation. "Fine," He said in a defeated, yet calm tone. "We'll do your stupid nick-names." He looked up in regret. 'I can't believe I'm doing this.' He thought regretfully. 

--- 

Piccolo walked, hands in his pockets, down the dark alley. Only a few dashes of light lay across the wet streets. The rain had fallen all day, and puddles gathered in pools all about. Piccolo stepped carelessly into them as he walked is path, his black converse shoes getting wet. Usually, Piccolo was a very clean person. He didn't like to get his clothes wet or dirty. Especially his shoes. But now, as his heart thundered in his chest wildly, silent to the rest of the world, only one thought was in his mind. It was the night of the meeting. He would see Karina at long last. 

He was a bit afraid and apprehensive about it, yet at the same time overjoyed. He would see her alive, and that would be enough. But he didn't know if she would be alive and well. Piccolo knew that her treatment during the kidnapping had been less than pampered. He hoped she wouldn't be sick. He knew against all odds she would look different, weak and probably thin. He knew it would hurt him to see her in such a condition, but just to see her again set his heart alight with anticipation. 

He stopped abruptly in his walking, facing a dark, red-brick building. The walls were covered in worn graffiti, names of numerous forgotten gangs marked only to never be recognized. The damp door had a faint number on it, the white peeling paint of the numbers now gray with age. "723." He stared almost in a dumbfounded manner at the three numbers, feeling frozen and numb. Water dripped ceaselessly into a puddle from the top of some unknown building, the rhythm of the endless poink of each drop seeming to be slowed ten times it's real pace, matching the beats of Piccolo's heart. 

He turned suddenly, his ears twitching a bit. He had known that despite the deserted look of the alley, that he had never been alone in it. From the moment he stepped into it, he had the ominous undeniable sense of being watched. He had turned at the faintest noise, a soft whisper of some sort, interrupting his frozen silence. It might have only been the soft sound of the wind breezing through the alley. Piccolo highly doubted that. 

He had parked his car a block away from the given address, then walked along the front-side of South Black Street. It was a very beat-up area, and he heard rats scurrying from the over-flowing trash cans flanking the walls, ready for pick up. Graffiti splattered randomly on the blackened walls, many of the doors framed by cement entry-ways and steps. Despite the run-down area, people were everywhere. He was watched by countless people on their cement front porches and steps, the age range of the tired and dirt-looking people ranging from old to as young as six. He was wearing loose blue jeans, black converse high-top shoes, and a plain gray sweatshirt. He felt utterly alone despite the many people around him. 

When he had rounded the building to enter the alley, he felt suddenly as if he was not alone. But it wasn't a good feeling. It was as if he was being monitored, every movement, every breath. He knew he was close. 

Now, as he stood before the door, the aged gray and weathered numbers seeming luminous against the dark brown--almost black peeling paint. He had no doubt about if he were at the right place or not. To him, it seemed as if the evil on the other side was pressing heavily against the thin wooden door, the only barrier between it and him. And he could since a faint small light amidst the blackness son the other side. He knew Karina was there. 

Though knowing wasn't enough. He knew, yet still he had an overwhelming _need_ to see her alive, to see her alright, to hold her in his arms, to feel her heartbeat pounding against his chest. He looked at his wrist watch after pulling back his long sweat-shirt sleeve. The second hand ticked passed 12, and the minute hand clicked to the 30 mark. The hour hand rested firmly on the half-mark between 11 and 12. Not knowing any other way to announce his presence, though he had a very strong feeling that it was already known, he lifted his fist to knock. Three strong and brisk knocks seemed to echo in his ears, and even though he saw his hand make the movements, he never felt his knuckles touch the rough wood. He was numb all over. 

--- 

Goku floated high in the night sky, shivering slightly. The air was thin and it was a little hard to breathe. He rubbed his arms together in an effort to warm himself. He listened to the soft sound of never ceasing wind blow through the brilliant city below him. He was high enough to see to the horizon all around him, but not so high that people were too small to see below. He watched as the people, not little specs, but distinguishable figures, moved about the streets in the night. The stars weren't visible from all the light pollution, blocking out the natural light above. The city looked like a galaxy of stars itself, a night sky of winding constellations stretched out before him like a huge, 3D map. 

He felt lonely floating there alone in the air. He knew the other two were also staked out in different locations, but still felt as if he was completely and utterly alone... 

Frowning softly he reached into his pocket, past the walkie Talkie clicked to his belt. He withdrew a small 3x4 Polaroid picture. (I don't own Polaroid) He smiled softly as he viewed the image. It showed Chi-Chi and him asleep innocently on the couch back at Chi-Chi's old house. It had been a few years ago, during high school. Bulma had dropped in, and curious as to why she received no answer when she knocked, since she had planed with Chi-Chi earlier to meet there, let herself in. She had found the couple sleeping, and grinning took their picture. The flash woke them up, but their soft sleep and the calmness off their slumber had been captured on film. 

He had been behind Chi-Chi, his arms lightly around her in a protective manner. Chi-Chi had rested her back on his chest and stomach, her cheek turned to touch his shoulder lightly. Goku swallowed. An image flashed to the front of his mind and consciousness. 

Chi-Chi was shivering in the dark, huddled in the corner of a small room. It was dank and cold. Her arms encircled her knees which tightly were pressed against her chest in an effort to stay warm. She was fragile and breaking--right before Goku's eyes. But he couldn't reach her. There was an invisible barrier between them, blocking his path to her. He cried out to her, only wanting to see her lift her head and look at him, to reassure him with a soft smile of happiness at seeing him. 

Goku was gripping the picture so tightly in his fast that he suddenly realized he was ruining it. He released the pressure on it and spread out the wrinkled picture in his palm. He stroked it softly for a brief moment. If only he was there with her now, to protect and hold her, to keep her warm and safe. His eyes fell to a building below him. He saw a flash a green pass through the alley behind it. It was only a brief instant. It had gone from the shadow of one building to shadow the building he had looked at, and in the short distance between the two, moonlight lit the green object. "Piccolo..." He murmured. He flew to the south side of the building. He saw him. He was darkened by the shadow of the building, but he was at a black door, standing there, waiting. Goku suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He had lifted his fist to knock. 

Goku suddenly knew. In that building, he knew Chi-Chi was there, hostage with the other three girls, helpless and scared. He was hit with the strongest impulse to zoom down to Piccolo and help him barrel in, take on all the men within the building, no matter how many there were, 'till they reached Chi-Chi and the girls, and would carry them out and save them, triumphant and alive again. But reality awoke his senses, and he knew he could not move from this position. Showing himself would mean certain bad things for the girls. 

He watched as the black door opened, revealing only a blacker opening. He disappeared inside. The door closed again. Goku suddenly felt even more desperately alone. He reached to his belt and took the walkie talkie off, bringing it to his ear and mouth. He pressed the button down. "Come in Hothead and Nohair. Come in. Over." 

He waited and released the button for an answer. 

"Hothead here, over." Came Vegeta's voice. 

"Are you in position, over?" Goku asked, depressing the button once again. 

"Yes, over." 

"How about you, Nohair?" Goku asked. 

They both waited momentarily. "Nohair??" Goku tried again. He felt a empty pit growing in his stomach with every silent second that ticked by. He cried frantically into his walkie talkie, "Is anyone out there?" Vegeta remained silent on his end of the walkie talkie. Second by second, it was getting harder and harder to breathe. 

--- 

Piccolo walked into the dark room. He was greeted only with the open door, the open passage. No man had shown his face, no voice had greeted his arrival. Inside, it was even darker than in the alley. It was dead silent. The humidity in the room almost became unbearable as his heartbeat slowly thudded numbly in his head. 

The lights all around suddenly snapped on. Piccolo didn't even attempt to cover his eyes in shock, even as the lights blinded him painfully. One man stood before him. He wasn't tall, he didn't even look threatening. The black man stood in a neat, black suit, with a business-like air, his hands behind his back casually. Piccolo was hit with a sudden strong since of recognition. He had seen him before. And a second later it hit him like an elephant falling onto of him from a 60 story building. 

He choked out the name, his lips barely able to form the word, "B-bob?!" 

Bob the bartender smiled. "I'm glad to see you recognize me, Mr. Damoih." 

--- 

Review please! Sorry for the slowness of updating! ;


	16. Secrets In The Shadows

**Disclaimer :** I do not, will not, and have not ever owned any DBZ characters, slogans, trademarks, or shares. 

Anyways, enjoy!

---

Piccolo's heartbeat would not slow down from the incredible rate it was pumping at. He tried to take deep breaths, calm himself down, and reassure himself in his mind that everything would go fine. Nothing worked. It pounded wildly against his ribs, almost painful. He couldn't will his tongue and lips to form words. His mind was screaming. He felt trickles of sweat trickle down his temple. The room was stuffy and humid. It was hard to breathe.

Despite these conditions, Bob looked to be as calm and comfortable as he would sitting in the back of an air- conditioned million-dollar limousine, sipping on cooled champagne. Piccolo was disgusted by him. All those nights in the bar, they had talked and he had spilled his thoughts to him ceaselessly over a never-empty glass of beer or some other drink. If he ever got barely past half-way empty, his glass was instantly replenished by Bob's ever supplying bottle. And now here he stood, in the house of his enemies, looking as happy and calm as any man who might have just gotten promoted at his dream job.

Piccolo had only glanced at him once after recognizing him and had been struck with an overwhelming since of realization. He had suddenly been filled with knowledge, he knew all that had happened without it being explained to him. Bob had never been his friend at all. He had pretended to be a person he could trust, someone who he could reveal his feelings and deep most thoughts to...but now he saw that it had all been a lie, smeared and blurred by the potential consequences of drinking alcohol. Bob had managed to loosen his lips with the never-ending supply he had at his finger tips, and had blinded Piccolo to his true intent.

"You..." He growled the word as hatefully as he always had, now recognizing that it had been him who he had spoke to on all of those anonymous phone calls, this time embellished with a new passion, "YOU TRICKED ME! YOU FLOOR LICKING BASTARD!"

"Alcohol is one of the most powerful tools of man, if you use it correctly. Rule one of being a bartender: Never drink yourself. Rule two: Use your sources to your advantage. It makes the mind happy with endorphins and loosens the tight knots of morality for even the most cautious and prudent person. It relaxes you, makes you feel okay to talk about things that you normally would never disclose to anyone...That my friend is why alcohol is so evil. It makes a man his own worst enemy and betrayer. You have helped me in ways you will never know."

Piccolo trembled with anger, sweat dampening his back, chest, and forehead. His fists were clenched so tightly his nails threatened to break the rough skin of his palms. He was so enraged at the man's utter defiance and evil intent that he felt the need to run to him and strangle him at that very moment.

Bob lifted his hand and snapped his fingers. Two men, one white and bald, the other black with dread locks, entered the room from the only door there was besides the exit. They patted and searched Piccolo thoroughly. Deeming him wireless, they exited again.

"Well, what do you say we get out of this humid room and into some more comfortable conditions..." He turned abruptly to the only door besides the exit in the room. Piccolo felt an overwhelming temptation to pounce on him when he turned his back to him, but he managed to contain himself and follow mechanically.

The new room they entered was extremely worn and beaten up, unlike the previous room, which had been completely devoid of furniture, carpet, and wallpaper, but had instead metallic flooring and wall panels, the room he now stood in had a few items of well-used furniture, a small black-and-white TV, threadbare carpet, and peeling wallpaper. It wasn't quite as humid as the other room either. "Go ahead and take a seat." Bob offered as he moved to the corner of the room, which held a few counters and single fridge, as well as a coffee machine and microwave. He took the coffee pot off the machine and poured dark black coffee into two mugs. Piccolo watched carefully, and was positive that he had added nothing to the cups. He took the one offered, but did not drink until Bob had, and the rich fluid burned his tongue, but he didn't respond to the pain. The spring in the couch he sat on rubbed against his thigh irritatingly.

Bob sat and drank the coffee without speaking, and Piccolo set down his mug, which was barely drank from, and gripped his knees anxiously as he watched the man before him, his eyebrow twitching in anger at his air of being calmly meeting a friend. He would never again use the word to refer to the man.

"Why?" He finally spat, breaking the silence that had created a maddening silence in his ears.

Bob set down his mug quietly and his fingers intertwined with each other as he rests his elbows thoughtfully on his knees, leaning forward, his eyes looking forward unfocusedly. He paused reflectively before speaking, "I don't know who's in charge. When jobs like this come in, I never hear any names, only proof of pay and the orders. On this particular case I heard that the infamous Damioh had a son. No one before had ever known this information. Your father is very rich and powerful in the underground business world. You and your history were extensively studied; every weakness, relationship, and even your hobbies are now public information to every single one of your father's enemies. Which basically is every person on lower positions that your father on the huge chain of business."

Piccolo listened indifferently. He felt so unattached from his father. His father had hardly ever been in his life. He had provided money for financial support, and that had been all. He barely had any social contact with him. He knew nothing of the details of his work, and really didn't care to. Deep within him a thundering snowball was slowly gaining speed as it rolled down some inner hill, gradually building. It was his contempt for his father. Before he had merely disregarded the abandonment his father had treated him with, brushed it off and pretended not to care. And it really hadn't bothered him too greatly; But now, this man whom he barely knew was unmasking that his father had been the cause of all his pain. The man who had hardly even been in his life, yet had been attached to him by a weak spindle of thread, was the reason for all these events. He sat wordlessly and listened as bob continued on.

"During the research process, your girlfriend was discovered."

Piccolo's brow spasmed. The ax fallen. He had anticipated the fall--he knew it was coming--but when it fell it didn't help the stinging pain that filtered into his entire being. Bob watched his reaction like that of an experienced professor observed the after-effect of an experiment he had preformed countless times, and knew he didn't need to say the rest. It was self explanatory after all.

"Relationships are dangerous things to develop in the business world--they become weaknesses, doors that are opened for manipulation--"

"I'm not even involved in your damn world!" Piccolo exploded, "I hardly even have a so called "Relationship" with my father. The only relationship I share with him is blood--but in reality I hardly know the man's face."

"Family relationships are the most dangerous..." Bob said quietly. "But it was perceived that you indeed did not have a strong bond with your father. That's why you were not used. Instead, it was noticed that you were the main path that he directed his money flow to. It was observed that you, unlike your father, had a passionate relationship with another being...Thus you would be the most vulnerable target--or more correctly, Karina would be."

Piccolo's nails dug into his leg as he heard the name, angered as the lips of the man which he currently hated so passionately formed the syllables. "How could you..."

"To me it was only a job. I wasn't in charge." Bob said mechanically, though Piccolo noticed his eyes were clouded by a restrained resistance of some sort. Inside a strange churn of his stomach hinted to him that Bob now was remorseful for his actions. He disregarded the feeling. "Where is she?"

"I can't release that information until I am notified to." He said, again like a machine programmed to automatically respond to commands and questions with specifically chosen words.

Piccolo gripped his knees so tightly he wouldn't have been surprised if his nails had penetrated his own skin through his pant legs. He released them and stood up to his full height, towering intimidating over Bob. "I don't think you understood me correctly. I asked you, where is she?" He stepped closer to him.

Bob did not move, but seemed tense with some strange feeling--not anger--but more of...fear, or warning. He said coolly, "Do not make any stupid moves," He warned, but it wasn't a threat. It was as if he truly wished to warn Piccolo not to do something that might cause any harm.

"It's my life, I can be stupid if I please," Piccolo replied, ignoring the sense he picked up from him, moving forward again.

Bob tensed even more tightly, as if doing so might will Piccolo to stop his advancement. "That may be true," He said quickly, "But do you not care for Karina's life more than that?"

Piccolo stopped cold, one of his feet in mid-step. He set it down, but back. He slowly backed away, trembling. He sat down, his inside writhing. "That was the whole point of this meeting, was it not? So I could see her again...Know she's safe..."

Bob seemed to relax now. "You will know that soon enough." He sighed softly. "But first, we are required to speak of ransom money before any such thing can take place."

Piccolo felt willing to pay any price, though he hated to fill the wants and greed of the evil beings who had done this to him and Karina. He nodded softly, once, to show he understood.

---

"I'm cold." Karina whispered. They sat huddled in the tiny room, unfurnished whatsoever, shivering. The night air blew in relentlessly from the vent, chilling them and causing their skin to curl.

Bulma sat curled in a ball, her knees pressed to her chest, and her arms wrapped nightly around them. "Me too..." She sighed softly. 18 sat unmoving, not shivering, in the opposite corner, looking to the side in deep thought. Chi-Chi was next to Karina.

Bulma looked up and wished that the stars greeted her eyes instead of the cold steel plated ceiling that hovered above them ominously, as if about to fall and crush them at any moment. Karina's eyes lifted to. She wanted to see the stars, so that at least she knew, somewhere under the huge sky, Piccolo was there too, and in that way she felt closer to him...

---

A form sat slouched in the alley, dank, wet, and musky, just like everything around him. There could be a small snoring sound heard from the hunched over, sitting person. He obviously was asleep. His coat was tattered and well worn, and seemed to give the same effect to the rest of his clothes. His over-cap was pulled over his ears and eyes, and his face bent forward into his newspaper scarf for warmth from his own breath.

A different sound was coming off the man. "Goku? Goku?" a tiny voice called, audible to any passerby. The hobo slept on. "GOKU! WAKE UP!"

The man jerked to consciousness and looked around insanely, "WHO'S CALLING ME!?"

A passing woman with one arm full of groceries, her other hand clasping the child's, jumped in alarm and immediately quickened her pace, pulling the curious child quite forcefully with her. "Come on, Jimmy, avert your eyes! Don't make any eye contact, just keep walkin'..."

Goku groaned and pulled his hat off and his hair immediately sprung out into it's normal position, like springs pressed under something for a long time, then someone lifts the thing off, and they immediately spring out again. He put his finger in his ear and scratched his head.

"Dang, Krillin, you scared me...over." He mumbled.

Krillin growled in Goku's earpiece. "YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE SLEEPING, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE KEEPING AN EYE OUT FOR PICCOLO."

Goku wondered why he ended up getting stuck with the disguise-yourself-as-a-hobo-and-watch-for-piccolo-to-pass job. He murmured, "Well, he hasn't come out of the building yet."

"How do you know if you're sleeping?"

"I was just dozing, over." Goku said matter-of-factly. "My senses were still keen and accurate, and I managed to keep a mental tab on him even through till now." It was true. He could still since Piccolo, subconsciously. He hadn't moved inside the building much since he had fallen asleep.

"Sure," Krillin said disbelievingly. "Quit saying over. You're still in your same position, right?"

"Yep, over." Goku replied, taking a glance down the alley Piccolo had disappeared into.

Goku listened as Krillin paused to twitch, then spoke, exasperated. "And no one seems suspicious?"

Goku snickered a bit. "Well I think I scared the crap out of this lady and he kid...I think they were thinking I was talking to myself. Over."

"Good, you're supposed to look like a lunatic."

Goku beamed with self pride. "I know. Well I'm gonna keep goin' about my duty. I'll check in with you soon. Over." He pulled his cap back on, with some difficulty, pressing his hair down under it once again. He scratched his arm and then stretched and yawned leaning back against the trashcan behind him, putting his arms behind his head.

"Ahh...hobo's have the life!"

---

Piccolo listened to Bob as he rattled of numbers. He just nodded and nodded. He didn't care how much it was, and though it sickened him to fill their greedy pockets, he just wanted Karina free and in his arms again. "Fine, anything, I'll pay you anything..."

Bob smiled somewhat. "Sure your father has that money?"

"I don't care if he does or not, I'll get it one way or another."

"Alright then." Bob stood up. "Stay here. I need to confer."

Piccolo blinked as suddenly he went blind. Or he thought he did anyway. He felt around and blinked a few times. The lights were off...He cried out in pain as a loud high-pitched noise buzzed through the room, seeming to make everything vibrate. He held his ears and compulsively twitched while laying on the side of the couch, feeling as if his brain were the chalkboard of the nails that were the noise, and they were scraping against it.

Suddenly he realized the noise had stopped. The lights turned on and he found it painful to open his eyes. His ears pounded and throbbed painfully as he slowly unsteadily sat himself up. Bob was gone. He didn't even move. He knew all the doors where probably locked.

"Clever." Piccolo growled, wiping some beads of sweat from his brow. "Now I don't know where he exited so now I can't kill whoever is behind that door." He sighed softly and rubbed his temples in pain.

---

Vegeta stood on the corner in a long trench coat, sunglasses in place over his eyes, even though it was night and only street lights produced light upon the wet streets. He sighed softly, by now the movement on the streets almost completely dead. He pulled his trench coat collar up to cover is mouth as he spoke.

"Krillin, come in."

"See anything?"

"Not a blasted thing." He sighed again, "What the hell are we going to do? I mean, what's the point of sitting out here. How will that help anything? If something wrong goes on inside, we won't know a damned thing until it's too late. Sitting out here helpless is driving me insane...We have to try and infiltrate the building!"

Krillin paused in silent agreement. When he spoke again, it was hesitant, "...But, Vegeta...how?"

Vegeta growled softly. "I don't know...Give me a minute."

Krillin sat behind a large cement pillar of the worn, beaten public library across the street, facing the alley Piccolo had gone into. He listened to Vegeta's breathing, his own hushed. His heartbeat felt slow and almost as if it was forced, like his body was having trouble dealing with the wear of all this stress he was going through.

"I think I have an idea," Vegeta said a few minutes later, causing Krillin to jump out of his thoughts.

"Really?"

"Yeah. But I'm not sure how we can pull it off..."

"Tell me."

---

Piccolo felt strange. He couldn't breathe very easily. Each time he took in breath, it was as if his lungs were actually having to force themselves to swell to consume the oxygen. His chest rose and fell sharply with his breathing. Everything seemed to become blurry. He could feel sweat trickling down his temple, his body feeling hot all over. He leaned back and groaned, closing his eyes.

He heard a door open. He looked around wildly but he couldn't distinguish anything. He felt the blackness drawing nearer. Suddenly a hand was on his face. It tilted his chin up. Piccolo felt a cool trickle of fluid flow down his throat. A rush of heat consumed him as he closed his eyes tightly, then suddenly, he opened his eyes, and everything was clear. He felt normal again.

In front of him stood Bob, putting something away into his coat.

"W-what did you do to me!?" Piccolo asked. He could feel his shirt damp from sweat.

"Don't concern yourself with it, you're fine now." He said briefly. "Now...are you ready to see her?"

Piccolo's heart skipped a beat. "Show her to me."

But that's when Piccolo suddenly noticed a figure standing back, near the far wall, beyond Bob. His eyes widened. Karina stood quietly, her eyes adverted in a shy, almost ashamed way. Piccolo noticed her thin hands clasping each other before her lap, still gently and gracefully polite, as she always had been. Her vibrant green hair seemed thin and less lustrous. Her skin was unnaturally pale.

He stood, his breath caught his chest. Bob, unlike he expected, did not attempt to make him sit down again. Instead, he let him advance toward her, slowly and unsurely.

Karina made no move.

---

"I've definately got an idea." Vegeta said again, grinning widely.

"I know!! TELL ME!"

"Well...It involves a hooker."

---

**PLUG TIME!**

It's really pissing me off how no one is appreciating my friend's great talents. So go over and read this fic, and for _GOODNESS SAKE, REVIEW!!! _

**Ace of Authors**_ (Found on my favorite authors)_

Chasing Air

_(Sequel to "The Life of a DBZ Gangsta," which might be beneficial to either read or e-mail A.o.A., for a brief summary first.)_


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